Chapter 3: Why Just One Hit? (1/2)

“Greetings, everyone. I’m Han Ul, a mage who will be heading to The Cradle this time.”

He was a man with blond hair, glasses, and blue eyes.

Shortly after boarding the carriage, a man named Han Ul, who introduced himself as a mage, began to introduce himself.

“Since fate has brought us together like this, how about we all introduce ourselves?”

“Pfft.”

At Han Ul’s words, someone scoffed.

It was none other than Erme.

‘Is the Hero candidate laughing?’

Before I could ponder my confusion, Erme made a gesture of apology toward Han Ul and said,

“Sorry, I just suddenly thought of something funny.”

“…… I see. May I ask your name?”

“Call me Mer. That’s what everyone calls me.”

Erme gave a pseudonym and then glanced at me.

‘… Why is she interested in me?’

What did I do?

I didn’t do anything.

In fact, I pulled my robe’s hood down low to avoid drawing attention.

“What’s your name?”

Erme looked at me with a sly smile.

For some reason, she seemed to be in a very good mood.

“It’s Yuseong.”

“Yuseong, huh? That’s a nice name.”

I couldn’t tell if she was genuinely happy to learn my name or if she was teasing me, but she returned to her seat with a pleased expression.

After that, we all took turns introducing ourselves amicably.

‘No one particularly memorable.’

Han Ul was a mage, but the others proudly talked about how they were farmers or had run away from their village out of boredom.

There was no one particularly noteworthy.

After the introductions, there were several people who seemed friendly enough.

Some were even starting to form factions.

‘I’m bored; maybe I should check my reward.’

I really didn’t want Erme’s attention.

But since it had already happened, there was nothing I could do about it.

Might as well collect my reward.

[You exceeded expectations by leaving a lasting impression on the Sword Hero, Erme.]

[You have acquired a skill!]

[You have acquired: Hidden Space (B).]

[You have acquired: Blood-Soaked Dagger (B).]

“…What?”

With a sigh, I checked the details of the skill.

[Skill]

Hidden Space (B)
Your space is an absolute space that cannot be discovered by anyone.
◇ You can store and retrieve items from it at will.

As I focused on Hidden Space, I got a mental image of it: about three compartments in size.

“What? Why is it so small?”

I was a little flustered.

Aren’t subspaces usually supposed to be large?

Still, it wasn’t without its advantages.

For instance, I could store the Blood-Soaked Dagger (B) in it and retrieve it whenever I wanted.

[Item]
Blood-Soaked Dagger (B)
A dagger that grows stronger the more blood it absorbs.
◇ Unlocks additional abilities every time you kill 100 living creatures.

“Not bad.”

I felt a bit uneasy about the idea of killing living things.

But if I focused on killing monsters in the Labyrinth, I’d eventually unlock its abilities.

Curious, I decided to test out Hidden Space.

Acting as if I were reaching into my cloak, I activated the skill.

I felt the sensation of grabbing something as I used the skill.

“It feels similar to Absolute Theft, but it’s different.”

Satisfied, I returned the Blood-Soaked Dagger to the space.

When I looked up, I found my eyes meeting those of the orange-haired girl, Erme.

She was watching me, smiling brightly.

Her gaze seemed to say, “Where did this treasure trove roll in from?”

“Did she see me?”

I was sure I had hidden it in my cloak.

No way… right?

Meanwhile, Han Ul, the mage, had gathered others and moved away.

Now, it was just Erme and I sitting by a campfire, warming ourselves.

Looking around, I couldn’t help but feel the atmosphere.

“It really feels like I’m in a fantasy world.”

Crackle, crackle.

Maybe it was the warmth of the campfire, but I found myself lost in a strange sense of sentimentality.

“You’re Yuseong, right?”

That sentiment was shattered in an instant.

The Sword Hero, Erme, had approached unnoticed and was now sitting beside me, smiling brightly.

I barely managed to suppress the urge to scowl and forced my face into a neutral expression.

Stay calm, stay calm.

“You look like you’re from the thief class. Want to form a party with me?”

No.

Absolutely not.

The Sword Hero, destined to succeed.

Strong, reliable, and undoubtedly someone who could carry me through this world.

“But something feels off.”

Her behavior, her actions—everything about her raised red flags.

And above all else, her role as a Sword Hero candidate was too conspicuous.

If I joined her party, I’d become far too noticeable.

And inevitably, I might end up entangled with the villainess, Lucia, whom I had already encountered.

“On top of that, she might even become obsessed with me.”

No, I was certain of it.

The fact that I had stolen Obsession of the Villainess from her was already absurd enough.

Rejecting Erme’s proposal was the only logical choice.

I shook my head, declining her offer.

“You’re so cold.”

Yes, I’m cold.

Please, just stop paying attention to me.

In fact, I hope you lose interest entirely.

After I rejected her proposal, Erme went to sit on the opposite side of the campfire.

For a moment, she seemed lost in thought before she muttered to herself.

“Strange. He doesn’t seem like the type to die in a goblin ambush.”

“…?”

Goblins? Where did that come from?

I kept my expression blank, pretending I hadn’t heard anything.

After a while, Han Ul, the mage who had introduced himself earlier, approached with two bowls in his hands and a smile on his face.

“Dinner’s ready. I brought enough for the two of you.”

“Thanks.”

“Thank you.”

Erme and I each accepted a bowl from Han Ul.

Then, Erme abruptly turned to glare at me.

“You act so cold toward me, but you’re polite to him, huh?”

“Ahaha, I’m sure Yuseong doesn’t mean any harm,” Han Ul replied with a laugh.

“What? Are you saying I’m rude?” Erme retorted, narrowing her eyes playfully.

The two of them continued to smile as they exchanged what was clearly a tense conversation.

“Surely not. How could I? Now, eat up before it gets cold.”

“Hmm. I guess you’re right. But you know, there are plenty of people who’d love to snatch up our Yuseong here.”

“When exactly did he become ‘our Yuseong’? Still, I can understand why people would want him. Quiet, capable people are always in demand as teammates.”

“So that’s why you’re scheming like this, huh?”

Both of them smiled at each other as they spoke.

Their conversation was cheerful on the surface, but the underlying tone was anything but.

But more importantly.

“Where is all this praise coming from?”

Had they seen me do something impressive?

Had my Gifts somehow been exposed to them?

“No, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

If they had actually figured out my Gifts, I had the gut feeling they would have approached far more aggressively.

As the old saying goes, “Staying still gets you halfway there.”

And it seemed true enough—except for the part where sitting still made me feel bored out of my mind.

Still, something piqued my curiosity.

“What exactly is a party?”

“…Is this your first time in a labyrinth?”

“I’ve heard of parties before, but I don’t know the specifics.”

That much was true.

“Hmm, it seems you must have been training in seclusion somewhere. After all, someone with your level of skill wouldn’t be without a reputation.”

“Exactly, exactly,” Erme chimed in, backing up Han Ul’s statement.

What exactly were they basing these assessments on?

“I’m starting to get curious about my own supposed skills.”

When I glanced at Erme with that thought, she gave a sly smile.

“For our dear Yuseong, I’ll explain it personally. Here’s the short version: everyone has their own unique characteristics, which we call Gifts—blessings from the heavens.”

“I see.”

“Since you already know about Gifts, I’ll skip that part. A labyrinth is essentially a tool designed to help you maximize your potential with your Gift.”

“Haha, that’s an interesting opinion. You must be quite confident in your abilities,” Han Ul said, his tone carrying a subtle edge.

Was that hostility? Or just irritation?

“His eyes reek of inferiority.”

It seemed Erme’s words had struck a nerve with Han Ul.

“A party is the fastest way to ascend through the labyrinth.”

“In other words, you’d like me to join yours.”

“Of course. And if you don’t like it, you’re free to leave the party anytime. Although, with someone like me, that’s hardly a concern.”

Erme’s orange eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“My party exists as well. Especially as an elemental sorcerer, I can provide strong offensive support for you.”

“Oh, elemental sorcerers are doing well these days, huh? In those cramped labyrinths, support magic must be all the rage, right?”

“When was that ever true? Support mages are only useful in the lower floors. Once you ascend, pure firepower like ours outshines them completely.”

“For someone so confident, you don’t look particularly skilled.”

“You damn wench—”

“Oops, my apologies.”

“Already showing your true colors, huh? Works for me,” I thought.

The tension between the two was thick, and it seemed like a fight could break out any moment now.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to fight in front of our Yuseong.”

Erme turned to me with a sweet smile.