Rustle, rustle.
The hum of white noise filled a room that appeared to be an office.
A neat and orderly space. In it, a woman was filling out documents.
‘Abnormal phenomenon detected. Monsters from the 1st to the 5th floor are exhibiting irregular behavior.’
‘Suspected cause: Hidden Room located on the 6th floor.’
‘Discovery of the 5.5th floor. A certain monster appeared there, triggering a transformation in all floor monsters above the 5th floor.’
“Hmm.”
The woman scanned the documents.
She was already aware that something had gone wrong in the labyrinth.
The survival rate in this particular instance had plummeted.
‘Newcomers do tend to die frequently within their first week…’
But this time, the death rate was unnaturally high.
It was only logical to assume that some major incident had occurred inside the labyrinth.
The “Scavengers” running wild wouldn’t be enough to cause such an immense impact.
‘Those bugs can’t even take down a goblin.’
Vermin feeding off the guild.
Perhaps it was time to finally eradicate them.
They should have been wiped out long ago.
‘If it weren’t for those meddlesome fools getting in the way…’
Back then, she had no choice but to delay.
But now, the time had come to collect the “taxes.”
It was also the perfect opportunity to expel those vagrants from The Cradle.
Just as she was about to organize her thoughts regarding the matter.
Bang!
The door swung open violently.
The woman frowned and turned to face the one who had entered.
“They’ve appeared.”
“Get lost. Don’t bother me.”
“There’s a problem.”
“I heard some guy was being trained on the 1st floor. Go waste your time on him instead.”
“Rebellion. They’ve shown themselves.”
“Them? And what kind of nonsense are they up to this time?”
“They’re calling it ‘Sprout Cutting’—hunting down rookie adventurers.”
“Heh, them? Why would they bother with that?”
“That aside, there’s something else.”
“What is it?”
“This.”
Volcan pulled out the ominous-looking nail he had received from Erme.
The woman’s gaze turned icy.
“What is that?”
“Not sure. Given that it’s a nail, it looks like it was meant to pin something down.”
“It’s a Wraithbound Nail. Once driven in, it traps the lingering spirits of those who die near it.”
“That?”
“That’s something the Demon King’s Army used. But why is it here?”
The woman, known as the Guild Master, stared at the Wraithbound Nail.
“Who brought this in? They must be quite skilled.”
“……?”
“Why are you tilting your head? Do you know why this nail is such a headache? Once it’s planted, unless you’re a highly skilled mage or archer specialized in detection, you won’t be able to find it.”
“He had good detection abilities too?”
Volcan was taken aback.
He already suspected that the guy was hiding more than just one or two things.
‘He was said to be at least a Level 3 specialist archer.’
That statement now felt even more unsettling.
The violet bow that unleashed that single, devastating shot.
There was no way a Level 3 could produce that kind of power.
To wield such strength.
‘He’d have to be at least Level 4.’
Falsifying one’s level within The Cradle was strictly forbidden.
Even if he were just an archer, possessing that much power would be astonishing.
But the truth was.
He was, at his core, a swordsman.
Volcan had confirmed that with his own eyes. And yet, his stealth skills were impeccable.
Even Volcan himself, unless he concentrated, could barely sense his presence.
‘And now you’re telling me he has exceptional detection skills too?’
Just what is this guy?
As Volcan pondered Han Yuseong, the Guild Master spoke.
“Did you properly reward the one who brought this in? No, even if you did, I doubt you realized how serious this is.”
“I already compensated him. Just leave it be.”
“What did you give him?”
“A Level 3-restricted bow from Archel’s workshop, 100 arrows, and a sword.”
“…Hah.”
“You settled it with just that kind of reward?”
“You don’t understand. He has plenty already.”
“…With your own eyes?”
The Guild Master quietly studied Volcan.
The man staring back at her was steadfast.
Volcan had an exceptionally high standard.
He was notorious for refusing to take on disciples, finding most people unworthy.
He had even rejected a prince of the empire.
“They might act that way, but that’s just the worry of an old man. They don’t want to rely on weapons.”
“You’re getting old too.”
“I don’t need to hear that from someone older than me.”
“…Enough.”
The Guild Master cut herself off mid-sentence and stopped writing.
She had just realized something strange about what Volcan had said earlier.
‘Wait a minute…’
She hadn’t slept in the past week due to paperwork.
She had been practically living in this office for nearly a month.
The exhaustion from such a grueling schedule had delayed her realization.
“A Level 3 weapon from Archel’s workshop?”
“Clicking your tongue? Hah, you really are getting old. You only just noticed?”
Volcan grinned.
The Guild Master looked at him, her eyes trembling.
“That shouldn’t be possible. Someone only skilled in detection… Wait, don’t tell me—you didn’t know they had exceptional detection skills until now?”
“I had no idea before now.”
“…Then…”
Volcan had always valued skill above all else.
Which meant the ones who discovered this Wraithbound Nail weren’t just your average “genius.”
‘There are people like that.’
The once-in-a-century prodigies.
The kind that had already secured positions within the Empire, the Kingdoms, and the Adventurer’s Guild—people he never bothered to concern himself with.
‘But now you’re telling me there are two more of them?’
And if even Volcan was paying attention to them, that meant there was a high possibility they’d be drawn into the Adventurer’s Guild.
“Their names?”
“One’s Erme. The other is a guy named Han Yuseong.”
Volcan’s words burned the two names into the Guild Master’s mind.
“Ah, be careful with one of them.”
“One of them?”
“The swordsman. He’s got violet eyes—you’ll recognize him instantly.”
“His name?”
“Han Yuseong. That guy’s hiding his real strength.”
“…He’s hiding his strength? Even in front of you?”
Volcan fell into thought.
Even now, that guy was still hiding something.
Which meant.
‘He’s deliberately concealing his true power.’
Hiding one’s true strength in front of him was arrogant.
But he liked that arrogance.
More than anything, if they had met on the battlefield, that guy might have been able to wound him.
Failing to recognize such a person would mean his own judgment was flawed.
“I really don’t know what to make of him. Even I can’t see everything.”
“So that’s why you came to me?”
“Something like that.”
“…I’ll look into it.”
“Oh, and if you find anything, let Hilda know.”
“Don’t overwork her too much.”
“Hah, that’s none of your concern.”
After sending Volcan off, the Guild Master flipped through the documents.
A list of recently joined adventurers.
There, she found the names Volcan had mentioned.
Han Yuseong.
And Erme.
Their potential ranking was listed as B+.
That meant they had the capability to grow into high-ranking adventurers in the future.
But the Guild Master erased the B+ with magic.
And rewrote it.
S.
It had been over a thousand years since the labyrinth first appeared.
And in all that time, the Adventurer’s Guild had only ever granted an S-rank to fewer than twenty people.
‘I trust Volcan’s judgment, but…’
She had to see it with her own eyes to believe it.
But if even half of what Volcan said was true.
Thud.
She stamped the S-rank designation and stood up.
“Munch, munch.”
Erme sat in the inn, diligently munching on bread.
But something about her felt… off.
‘Normally, she’d be running around like crazy by now.’
On days they entered the labyrinth, Erme would usually be the busiest, making sure everything was prepared for the party.
Yet today.
She looked oddly relaxed.
Almost as if they weren’t in a hurry to enter the labyrinth at all.
‘Well, I don’t mind taking it slow.’
I dipped the bread into my soup and stuffed it into my mouth.
“Shall we head out soon?”
After packing up her bags, Erme spoke.
I, on the other hand, traveled light.
Thanks to Hidden Space, I didn’t need to carry much, and I had plenty of items tucked away inside my coat.
‘At the very least, I don’t want anyone to know I have a subspace storage ability.’
That’s why I deliberately carried my bow around.
And two swords as well.
With everything ready, Erme and I left the inn and made our way to the Adventurer’s Guild.
The front of the guild was packed with people.
There were always a lot of people here, but today felt… different.
‘It feels like they’re stuck waiting because they can’t get inside.’
Was that really the case?
A massive crowd had gathered at the entrance of the Adventurer’s Guild.
And among them, I spotted Glasses, Theresa, and Rozanté.
Glasses was frowning, as usual.
Theresa remained expressionless.
And Rozanté…
‘Huh? She looks surprisingly normal today.’
She stood there, fidgeting nervously with her hands clasped together.
“Hey.”
“Good morning. But what’s going on this early?”
“Something happened in the labyrinth. Seems like exploration will be difficult today.”
“…Oh.”
Rozanté let out a small sigh.
“There were already strange rumors spreading since yesterday. People are saying that a lot of adventurers who entered the labyrinth this time… disappeared.”
“I doubt they all just died, but… seeing how this turned into such a big deal, something definitely happened. We should be careful.”
“So, what do we do?”
Theresa’s blue eyes turned to me.
Looking around, it was clear that everyone was waiting for my opinion.
‘If the labyrinth itself changed, they’ll probably send in high-ranking adventurers to investigate. We won’t need to get involved.’
I came up with the best excuse I could, and the others nodded, seeming convinced.
It made sense, after all.
‘Was that goblin’s intelligence a result of the labyrinth’s change?’
If so, when would we be allowed to enter again?
I glanced at my companions.
Rozanté was a priest, so she could always make money somehow.
‘The problem is Glasses and Theresa.’
Theresa looked like she was in desperate need of money.
She always gave up her share of the loot without complaint.
Glasses seemed to have some savings, but after getting completely cleaned out last time, he didn’t look particularly comfortable either.
‘It’d be best if we could enter the labyrinth again soon.’
But unfortunately, today wasn’t looking good.
Just as I was about to turn away.
“Where do you think you’re going, little brats?”
Volcan stood before us, grinning.
“…What is it, old man?”
“What else? I came to get you guys.”
“…You mean us?”
“You’re a lot bolder than you look. The moment I arrived, you had this ‘Oh, here he comes’ look on your face.”
“Hehe… Well, before anything else, how about we head inside?”
“Bold indeed. You should be careful—he’s a lot more cunning than he seems… No, actually, since you’ve already been bitten by that absolute bastard, maybe you’re safer now?”
“…A bastard, really?”
“If you asked anyone about the kind of things you pull, they’d agree. Just look at her, dazed and stumbling around.”
What the hell is he talking about?
I turned to Erme, who blinked a few times before simply grinning and dragging me inside.
The atmosphere felt a little strange, but…
‘There’s no way, right?’
“It’s just his delusions,” Glasses muttered, dismissing the conversation.
I ignored it too and stepped inside.
There were a lot of people, but we used Volcan as a shield to push through.
Inside, the Adventurer’s Guild was noticeably less crowded than usual—much more comfortable.
And…
‘They’re all… strong.’
The sheer level of power inside was overwhelming.
Judging by the pressure they gave off, many of them seemed even stronger than Rishiel.
Among them, a blond-haired man with a relaxed demeanor approached us, grinning.
“Hey, old man. What’s with the brats?”
“They seem more useful than you. Introduce yourself—this kid’s going to catch up to you in less than a year.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m—wait a second, haven’t we met before?”
“You and Erme saw these adventurers on the first day in the labyrinth.”
“That was their first day? Oh, right… That kid who sensed Rohan’s Shade Step?”
“…Hoo? What’s this about?”
Hearing something interesting, Volcan cut into the conversation.
“Old man, have you already marked this one? It’d be a problem if you scouted someone we were trying to recruit for Dawn’s First Light.”
“Hmm? You invited him first?”
“We asked him to join on the first day. He’d be perfect as Rohan’s successor. A scout with exceptional detection skills isn’t easy to find, you know?”
The blond man grinned and turned to look at our party members.
“My name is Alex. Nice to meet you.”
A quiet voice cut through the air.
“Does it even matter?”
Turning toward the speaker, I saw a violet-haired woman.
Her glowing eyes stood out.
She wore a fur coat over a black sleeveless top and long black pants.
And in her hand.
A staff.
“…Viola.”
Alex let out a small sigh.
“This labyrinth event is important. Do you know how many times I’ve seen clueless brats get involved and ruin everything?”
“This time, it’s different. I brought them.” Volcan’s voice was firm.
Viola smirked.
“I prefer to trust my own judgment. For example—”
She lifted a small golden orb in her hand.
“If he can take this from me, I’ll believe it.”
“A test, huh?”
Volcan chuckled, amused.
“But if he refuses, would that mean he’s challenging my authority?”
“Oh, come on. I just want to be sure. You did bring a bunch of rookies, after all. They haven’t even been together for a full week, have they?”
…How does she know that?
Well, this might be fun.
“Yuseong?”
Erme looked at me.
I glanced at the orb in Viola’s hand and smirked.
“That looks pretty nice. Can I just keep it?”
“…How ridiculous. Do you even know what that is? This orb can save a person’s life—just once.”
Viola sneered.
“But sure, go ahead and try, kid. I’ll be serious about this. If you manage to take it, it’s yours.”
Her expression hardened.
As mana surged around her.
I calmly activated Absolute Theft.
A strange sensation.
It felt as though my hand had disappeared into nothingness.
And then, something landed in my palm.
[Artifact Identified]
Amulet of Protection
Nullifies one lethal attack.
Recharges over time.
…A solid relic.
Definitely useful.
I smiled at Viola.
And before anyone realized what had happened, the golden orb was already in my hand.
“…H-Huh? W-What?!”
“Thanks. I’ll make good use of it.”
“U-Uh… Uhahaha!”
Viola let out a stunned laugh, while Volcan roared with amusement behind us.
Leaving them behind, we headed further inside.