People in the labyrinth were generally divided into two categories.
"Explorers," who entered the labyrinth with their own goals.
And "Raiders," who killed those Explorers and stripped them clean.
Still, I wasn't all that fond of that classification.
The line between the two was way too blurry.
Even if they didn't openly murder people, honest and good-hearted Explorers were exceedingly rare in this harsh labyrinth, and even career Raiders played the part of the friendliest Explorers imaginable right up until they showed their true colors.
On top of that, the environment of the labyrinth had a way of turning even decent Explorers into Raiders.
What mattered wasn't some vague label like that—it was strength.
Anyone weaker than me would act like a model Explorer in front of me, even if they were a Raider at heart.
Conversely, if someone was stronger than me, plenty of my basic rights could be stripped away depending on their mood.
So the moment another Explorer party showed up, the first thing I had to do was gauge their "level."
'At least 7-Star.'
Nothing else mattered; just looking at the vanguard who had smashed through our stalactite wall on the way in—
"Did you guys put this here?"
The single greatsword slung in that guy's hand was more than enough to tell me their specs.
The weapon item [Merciless Persecution] couldn't even be lifted if your Physical tier was Stage 6 or lower.
At bare minimum, they had the specs to operate on the seventh floor, or even the eighth on a good day.
...Gulp.
My mouth and throat went bone-dry, and I swallowed hard.
Regardless of their intentions, that was what it meant to run into the strong inside the labyrinth.
"Why so tense? Who said anyone's going to eat you?"
"Rawson, it's because of you. Put the sword away first."
"Who walks around the labyrinth without a weapon in hand? Look, they've got weapons out too. That guy over there is already gripping his spear, see? One slip-up and I could die here, you know? No way around it. Looks like I'll have to fight with everything I've got. Don't try to stop me!!"
After rambling away to himself, the man suddenly lunged forward and closed the distance to right in front of me in the blink of an eye.
The greatsword swung down a split second later.
Its blade dropped straight toward my eyes.
'Fuck.'
Am I going to die?
Thankfully, I didn't.
Brushing past my face by a hair's breadth, the blade slammed into the floor—CRASH—!
"You dodged that?! Then straight into a combo—"
And the instant he tried to move again—
"Rawson. That's enough."
The man who looked like the party leader had walked up beside him and grabbed his shoulder.
"Aw, why?"
"Ha... Please grow a little empathy, will you? One look tells you they're beginners—do you really want to act like this?"
"Kikik. It's fun, though."
Fun my ass, you prick.
Easy to laugh when it's not happening to you, huh?
'Rawson. I'll remember that name.'
Wait until I raise my specs and we meet again.
'Phew...'
In any case, knowing I was still alive let me breathe an inward sigh of relief.
"Sorry about that. I apologize on my teammate's behalf for his behavior."
Unlike that bastard Rawson, the party leader was remarkably polite.
"It's fine. Nobody died."
"Thanks for understanding."
Honestly, it wasn't even a matter of understanding or not.
What was a weakling like me supposed to do if I didn't understand?
From the start, that was the only answer I could possibly give.
"Anyway, I'm genuinely curious—what was that stalactite wall earlier?"
And by that exact same logic, I had no choice but to answer the lunatic's question, too.
"We set it up because of the Cave Goblins."
"Cave Goblins...?"
His face practically asked what the hell those were.
"He means the goblins that have permanent stealth only inside caves."
"Aaah, those things? Wait, aren't they weak, though? Can't you just let them hit you and shrug it off?"
"Not when you're a beginner without a single piece of armor."
"Whoa... Are you guys really that weak?"
Why, are you going to chip in and buy us some, you bastard?
Didn't you ever have a beginner phase yourself?
"Or are you broke? Grade 8 gear should be plenty. Outfitting yourself head to toe only costs a few thousand gold, doesn't it?"
Ah, so he didn't.
This bastard had been filthy rich right from the start.
"Rawson!"
"Aw, what now?"
"Stop being so rude! Let's get moving already!"
Yeah, please haul him out of here fast.
Any longer and my self-esteem's going to take a hit.
"My apologies once again."
"...It's fine."
After making a racket for a good while, the group smashed through the stalactite wall we'd built on the opposite side and disappeared beyond it.
That was when it happened.
Now that they were gone and we were about to set out again, I sensed someone coming back.
The one who stepped back into view was... none other than Rawson.
'Why is this bastard back again?'
Did he leave some of his bullshit unfinished?
If you're going to mess with us more, get it over with and piss off already.
"Hey, you said you guys are beginners, right?"
"That's right."
"Like, your very first time?"
I nodded, and Rawson muttered, "So that's how it is..." before rummaging through his backpack, pulling out a pouch, and tossing it to us.
"...What's this?"
"Open it."
Inside were five low-grade potions and a softly glowing blue Runestone.
"...!"
What is this guy's deal?
Showing us charity like this out of nowhere?
"You probably need gear the most, but I didn't have anything on me that you guys could use. You know how to use potions and Runes, right?"
"We do, sure, but... why are you giving us this?"
"If you don't want it, give it back."
"I didn't say that."
I quickly tucked the pouch away before he could change his mind.
"Yeah, playing hard to get when you're going to take it anyway. I'm off, then?"
Just as Rawson turned to leave again, I suddenly called out.
"Wait!"
"Save the thank-yous."
"It's not that..."
"It's not?"
Something told me this was my one chance.
"We... don't have a Dismantler!"
***
Watching Rawson walk back over, the female mage, Lily, spoke up in amazement.
"Well, that's unexpected. Rawson actually looking out for beginners."
"You know I've always had a big heart."
"...Pardon?"
"Even I can't buy that one."
At Rawson's shameless reply, the female mage and the party leader both deadpanned at the same time.
"Why the serious faces? A guy can do a good deed every once in a while."
"I doubt it was on a whim. Someone must have caught your eye."
"Well, maybe a little?"
Rawson pictured the guy who had reached for the shaft of his spear before their eyes even met.
When he slammed his blade into the floor as a joke, the guy had been terrified, yet he hadn't backed down an inch.
Even as his pupils trembled uncontrollably with a fear and tension he couldn't hide, he had forced his eyes to stay open, staring straight back at Rawson while angling his spear arm as if ready to counterattack on the spot.
Had the guy possessed the strength to back it up, Rawson's own throat probably would have been pierced right through.
'He definitely looks like a beginner...'
Without even basic gear to his name, he looked every bit the novice.
The way he'd frozen stiff the instant he saw them was also the textbook reaction of the weak.
And yet he had that kind of mental fortitude and judgment—
'He's a suspiciously entertaining guy, is what he is.'
The same went for that stalactite wall he'd thrown together to keep out Cave Goblins.
Despite all the Explorers Rawson had seen on the first floor up to now, not a single one of them had ever pulled a stunt like that.
And it wasn't just some eccentric quirk—it was absurdly efficient.
Just by propping up those simple barriers at both entrances, hadn't he sealed off a section of the cave into a private room, keeping both Cave Goblins and people in check while doubling as an early-warning alarm?
'Should be fun to watch down the line.'
The history of this labyrinth city was usually changed by oddballs like him.
Someday, maybe that guy would claim a seat like that for himself.
'Ah, granted...'
He'd have to survive until then first.
***
Today, I met a god in the flesh.
His name is Rawson.
The valiant God of War, wielding a monstrous greatsword, bestowed His boundless grace upon us, granting our lowly beginner party five whole bottles of the water of life and—
THUNK! SLASH—!
He even blessed us with blades that fly through the air and dismantle monster corpses all by themselves!
Two of them, at that!
As the glorious Cult Leader of the Church of Rawson, I shall carve this magnificent chronicle into the annals of history!
'Nice, very nice.'
Thanks to my begging... no, my earnest plea, the extra item Rawson had handed over was a [Butcher's Knife].
A tool item whose blade moved on its own when used on a monster corpse, neatly carving the body up part by part.
Thanks to that, our party finally got its hands on a "dismantling" function.
'Not that we can keep using it forever.'
A [Butcher's Knife] was literally for "butchering."
In other words, it was an item designed to dress a carcass for meat.
Still, that only became an issue once you climbed to the upper floors; for the first floor, it left nothing to be desired.
If anything, it was way more convenient, not to mention fast and precise.
Clack.
While the divine Rawson was bestowing His grace upon us, another wicked Cave Goblin had snuck in and been turned into a corpse in the ensuing skirmish, and the [Butcher's Knife] finished dismantling the creature before flying right back into my hand.
I slipped it into its sheath, tucked it into my backpack, and packed the byproducts—the Cave Goblin's hide and tongue—into a separate pouch.
"How much will we get if we sell those?"
"Around two gold."
For reference, one gold came out to roughly a thousand Korean won in purchasing power.
Which meant each of us had just earned about five hundred won.
Ah, and it has already been over twenty minutes since our party started moving.
"...We're going to have to hunt a lot of them."
The elf despaired over a wage level that would put a sweatshop boss to shame.
Still, for self-employed contractors known as Explorers, it was an inescapable fate.
"Ah, what are you going to do with that?"
The "that" the elf was pointing at was the other gift Rawson had tossed our way: a small pebble giving off a faint blue glow.
Its proper name was a "Rune," or a "Runestone."
Its function was simple.
[Learn Skill]
Using it let you instantly learn the skill stored inside.
Ah, "skill" was the game term; in this world, they called it an "Ability."
"Since it's blue... it's a Magic Rune, right? Then Mr. Urka won't be able to use it."
"Why not?!"
"Because orcs can only use Red Runes."
"Hm! Is that so!"
She didn't know much about the labyrinth, but it seemed the elf had picked up a thing or two about Runes.
"So, what Ability is inside this one?"
"I wouldn't know that either. It's written in runes."
"Then how do people check?"
"From what I've heard, you have to take it back to the city and get it appraised."
By common sense, that was true.
Except standing right here was me—"Kim Yu-seong," a man who had spent twenty years walking the single path of [Dungeon Log], now borrowing the body of "Yuta."
Sure, I couldn't actually "read" runes either.
Since every one of the thousands of rune shapes looked distinct, however, "memorizing" them was entirely possible.
Therefore—
"It's a 1-Cost Magic Rune, [Surprise Lightning]."
I can appraise Runestones myself.
"Mr. Yuta, don't tell me you know how to read runes?"
"Looks like I can."
"Just what did you do in the past?"
"I don't remember that part."
It didn't really matter anyway.
What we needed to sort out right now wasn't how I could read runes—
"So, who should use this?"
It was deciding who this Rune belonged to.
"..." "..."
For the first time since our party began this expedition, an awkward silence settled over us.
Since the orc couldn't use a Magic Rune anyway due to his racial traits, he'd already tuned out, but both the elf and the dwarf clearly wanted it for themselves.
'Can't blame them.'
Once your build was somewhat established, you didn't even spare a glance for Runes that didn't fit your path.
Beginners with completely empty Rune Slots were a different story, though.
No matter what the Ability was, having one made your survival rate skyrocket compared to having nothing at all.
"..."
"..."
Just as everyone was sizing each other up, waiting to see who would speak first—
"Kyaruk! Kyaruk!"
An unpleasant screech suddenly echoed out, and two goblins ambushed us from the dark passage.
Since we'd been about to leave and hadn't bothered setting up a new stalactite wall, the charging creatures closed the distance in a flash.
"Kyaaah!"
"Eek!"
"I-I do not have my axe in hand!"
Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, my party members froze on the spot.
An emergency like this leaves me no choice.
I snatched up the Runestone, and at the same instant, the blue light carved into the stone seeped straight into my palm.
Just in case anyone mistakes me for a greedy opportunist, I'll say it again: this isn't out of personal greed—it really is an "unavoidable" decision.
"Okay, I've got the hang of it."
I could tell by instinct how to trigger the power.
[Surprise Lightning]
The instant I thought the name—
BOOM—!
A bolt of lightning crashed straight down onto the goblin's head.
***
< Yuta Histinger >
Race: Human
Rank: 1-Star
Rune Slots: 1 / 5
—Surprise Lightning (1-Cost) / Proficiency 0%
Special Records
Physical (Stage 0)
Muscle: 10 / Bone: 10 / Senses: 10
Magic (Stage 0)
Sorcery: 10 / Mana: 10 / Regeneration: 10
Mastery (Stage 0)
Resistance: 0 / Mind: 0 / Indomitability: 0