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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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Three days passed. It was early morning.
Jeong Yoo-shin stood alone in the courtyard, checking his equipment.
Even after the festival, his busy schedule made it difficult to find time for himself.
He looked down at his hands.
Aside from the small rewards…
‘There was one benefit from the festival.’
Sacred Weapon.
The imprint he had received from the Earth Mother Goddess during his fight with Ret.
A low-level priest spell that combined physical and holy power. The ability to manifest weapons from his mind into the real world.
It was a spell that couldn’t be used by anyone other than priests. But the imprint allowed Jeong Yoo-shin to use it.
When he first received this imprint, the weapon summoning speed was slow, and its power was mediocre.
Not anymore.
The more he used it, the stronger it became as his mana increased through Mana Adaptation.
And now, after having received the Earth Mother Goddess’s blessing…
He could imbue the weapons with specific properties, and not just adjust their shape.
Of course, due to his limited mana, he could only imbue one property at a time for now. If he tried to imagine something too powerful, the summoning would fail.
He could use a normal Sacred Weapon about 15 times.
‘Can I say that I’ve become stronger?’
He wasn’t sure. But he thought he would find out soon.
He’d be operating from the Explorer Headquarters in the Central District from now on.
Explorer Headquarters.
The enormous building he had seen when he first arrived in Labyrinth City.
He still vividly remembered the scene of countless explorers bustling around.
Was that what it felt like to venture out into the vast ocean?
He felt a mix of excitement and nervousness at the thought of the explorers he would meet there.
As he stood in the courtyard while lost in thought, Tarman approached.
“Skar, you have a visitor.”
“A lot of people have been visiting me early in the morning lately.”
“Well, it’s getting hotter.”
“That’s true.”
He wiped away his sweat and entered the inn hall, where Ashur was sitting at a table.
The head of the Swordsman’s Guild.
The elf stalker swordmaster.
Ashur nodded curtly at Jeong Yoo-shin.
“Skar, sit down.”
“Yes.”
Jeong Yoo-shin sat across from Ashur.
“Everything alright?”
“Yes.”
Ashur chuckled at Jeong Yoo-shin’s curt reply.
“Alright? I heard you were fighting hard in the streets while saving people.”
“That’s right.”
“Good job.”
Ashur smiled and patted Jeong Yoo-shin on the shoulder. Jeong Yoo-shin finally relaxed.
“I thought you’d be furious that I used a sword without permission again.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not that unreasonable. You can use any sword you want to save people. Haha.”
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled brightly.
“Is that so? Hahaha.”
Ashur’s expression then hardened.
“Don’t laugh. I’m not that magnanimous. Now that I remember it again, I’m getting angry.”
“I apologize.”
“It’s fine. As long as you’re still alive and you won.”
“…”
“Ahem. I got the information you asked for.”
“About the Revenger and Death Reprieve imprints combination?”
“Right. First, there’s something we need to clarify. When imprints combine and create a new ability, people call it ‘Imprint Synergy.’”
“That’s a straightforward name.”
“Indeed.”
“Do you have an example?”
Ashur crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling for a moment before answering.
“There was a mage a long time ago. He obtained an imprint that converted mana into muscle.”
“Oh?”
Mana into muscle? A battlemage?
This was the labyrinth, after all.
It sounded exciting.
“And he also obtained an Infinite Mana Amplification imprint. An imprint that continuously increases mana just by breathing.”
“Wow.”
That was an incredibly overpowered imprint.
“No joke, he was so strong that even the best warriors in the city couldn’t match him in strength. Understand? That’s an example of Imprint Synergy.”
So it was when imprints created a synergistic effect.
In the case of that battlemage…
His mana increased infinitely, and at the same time, his body converted that mana into muscle.
It meant his muscles would grow infinitely just by breathing.
His heart pounded.
“Imprint Synergy is a shortcut to becoming a high-ranking explorer. Of course, there are also those who reach that level through endless training.”
Ashur looked at Jeong Yoo-shin intently.
“I’m telling you this out of concern, but don’t rely too much on imprints.”
“Yes, I understand.”
His master’s words were true. He couldn’t survive in the labyrinth by relying solely on imprints.
He had been able to overcome all the crises he had experienced so far because of his continuous training and effort.
“Ahem. I should finish the example. To cut to the chase, that mage died.”
Jeong Yoo-shin’s eyes widened.
“Huh?”
“It caused quite a stir in the city. We were surprised too. No one could touch him. We thought he might have been assassinated with poison, so we performed an autopsy.”
“And?”
“His heart muscles were abnormally thick.”
“Huh…”
Jeong Yoo-shin’s jaw dropped.
The strongest battlemage had died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
‘Damn it. My excitement.’
This was the labyrinth, after all.
“Imprint Synergy isn’t always a good thing.”
“I understand.”
“Ahem. Let’s get to the main point. It’s theoretically possible to escape Death Reprieve with Revenger.”
‘I already know that from the Earth Mother Goddess.’
He didn’t say anything aloud though.
Ashur continued.
“You just have to be on the verge of death and then recover with Revenger. It’s a training method that greatly increases the potential of the Revenger imprint. Easy, right?”
‘Ah.’
He suddenly felt a sense of dread. Tap-dancing on the brink of death? That was insane.
Dark clouds gathered in his peaceful mind.
“How can you say it so casually? Your disciple will die!”
“Then just forget about imprints and focus on swinging your sword. I think that’s your best bet.”
“I understand.”
Ashur stood up.
“You can pay me after you return from the labyrinth. Let’s have a proper training session next time.”
“Alright.”
Jeong Yoo-shin saw Ashur off and returned to the table in the inn.
“Sigh. My life.”
He sighed involuntarily.
‘If I had just strengthened the Female Virgin Corruption imprint, I could have enjoyed a happy labyrinth life with a powerful virgin harem, satisfying all my desires. It’s karma, Yoo-shin.’
Someone whispered in the darkness.
Slap!!!
Jeong Yoo-shin slapped himself.
“The darkness of the labyrinth is getting to me again.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Two days later, in the evening…
The party members gathered in a corner of the inn.
Iron Mask spoke.
“The client is a high-ranking priestess of the Wind Elemental God, Sarphia. The request is to place holy relics in specific locations on the 7th floor of the Forest area.”
“Specific locations?”
Jeong Yoo-shin asked.
“I heard that they’re places where mana accumulates easily. You know what causes Eldritch Waves, right?”
Wasn’t that the phenomenon that occurred when mana accumulated in a floor?
He couldn’t forget it after all the trouble it had caused him.
“Do the holy relics suppress mana accumulation?”
Iron Mask nodded.
“That’s right.”
“But why would they entrust this to a party like ours?”
“Because the route is long, and the holy relics are heavy. I heard that it’s been a neglected request for a long time because the reward isn’t that great.”
It made sense.
He would have to see how heavy the holy relics were, but if they were heavy and bulky, it would limit the amount of supplies they could carry.
It would reduce the amount of food, water, antidotes, and potions they could take, naturally shortening their time in the labyrinth.
And since the route was long, time would be even tighter.
In short…
It was a thankless task for explorers who wanted to make a profit.
“What a shitty request.”
Mars grumbled.
“But is there any reason why we have to do this? Even if it’s a designated request, it just seems like grunt work to me.”
“Everyone, gather around.”
The party members looked curious, but they still huddled together as Iron Mask instructed.
They leaned in close, as if plotting something, and looked at each other.
“…This is a secret. Listen carefully. Something happens when you bury the holy relics in specific locations.”
“…”
The party members listened intently, speechless.
“When you bury the holy relics, the accumulated mana disperses. If you’re nearby when the mana disperses, it accumulates in your body and causes a transformation. You become healthier, or your mana increases slightly.”
The party members’ eyes widened.
“Like leveling up?”
“Similar. It’s not as dramatic as leveling up, but it’s not negligible either.”
Becoming healthier or increasing mana.
It was like increasing HP or MP in a game.
Perhaps it was the most beneficial reward for Jeong Yoo-shin, who was always short on mana. Especially since he didn’t know when he would level up again.
“Why didn’t anyone know about this until now?”
“Maybe because it’s not a dramatic change?”
“I don’t know. It would be strange for shady explorers to openly talk about such benefits.”
“There are so many strange things happening in the labyrinth that people probably just dismiss it.”
The party members shared their opinions.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked at Iron Mask silently.
‘Where did he get this information?’
It was quite valuable information.
‘He’s a mysterious guy.’
But it wasn’t a malicious kind of mystery.
He trusted that Iron Mask didn’t have any ulterior motives.
“If that’s true, then this is a good opportunity.”
“Right. And I should mention that this phenomenon only occurs once in a lifetime.”
“Is that so?”
Jeong Yoo-shin smacked his lips in disappointment.
So no infinite mana farming?
“Alright. I’m in.”
“Me too. Increased stamina is always a plus.”
“As a priest, I can’t refuse a request that protects the safety of the labyrinth. We should do this.”
Iron Mask nodded as he listened to his party members.
“Then let’s meet again in three days.”
“Okay.”
The meeting ended, and the party members left the inn.
Jeong Yoo-shin watched them leave for a long time, then he returned to the inn and sat at the counter.
A question suddenly crossed his mind.
‘Why did they specifically request our party to do this?’
Jeong Yoo-shin shook his head and dismissed the thought.
It wasn’t something he could figure out by thinking about it.
‘It must mean Iron Mask has powerful connections.’
It was time to prepare.
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Three days later, at dawn…
It was time to enter the labyrinth.
Jeong Yoo-shin put on the armor he had received from Boron’s smithy piece by piece.
He wore chainmail over a cloth undergarment and then a plate cuirass covering his chest and back.
One shoulder was noticeably larger due to the pauldron, while the other was flat with just the spaulder.
It looked similar to the shoulder armor from Warcraft.
His helmet was an armet helm with a visor, offering better protection than the barbuta he had used before.
He attached two daggers and an arming sword, still in their scabbards, to his sword belt and slung his longsword across his back.
He attached various other equipment to his body.
Lastly…
He held a heater shield in his left hand and slung a magic backpack filled with essential supplies on his back.
Karin, seeing Jeong Yoo-shin standing at the inn entrance, smiled.
“You look cool.”
“Huff. Huff.”
Jeong Yoo-shin panted. The armor was not only heavy, but also incredibly hot.
‘I’m going to die.’
It felt worse than wearing thermal underwear, a shirt, a quilted jacket, a windproof outer layer, and a raincoat on a hot summer day.
In short, it wasn’t something meant to be worn by humans.
Karin placed her hand on Jeong Yoo-shin’s chest.
“Are you alright?”
“Sigh. I’m dying of heat. Seriously.”
He now respected the Labyrinth City guards who wore full plate armor even in the summer.
“I’ll be back. I’ll make a lot of money.”
“Just don’t get hurt. I’ll be waiting.”
“Okay.”
He wanted to say something cool, but the heat was making his mind hazy.
Jeong Yoo-shin left the inn with his equipment and arrived at the Central District.
By the time he reached the Temple of the Wind Elemental God, he was drenched in sweat.
His party members, who were waiting at the entrance, greeted him.
The naked dwarf grinned at Jeong Yoo-shin.
“Skar? That’s quite the outfit.”
Jeong Yoo-shin tucked his helmet under his arm and wiped his sweat-drenched hair.
“Don’t talk to me. I’m dying.”
As they waited at the entrance, a few priests came out while carrying three boxes.
The party members gathered around and examined the boxes the priests had brought.
‘Are these the holy relics?’
Small, square, metal boxes.
Various characters were engraved on the surface. Other than that, they didn’t look particularly special.
He took a box from a priest and estimated its weight.
‘Hmm.’
It was quite heavy.
An elf priestess in flowing robes approached Iron Mask and handed him a small piece of paper.
“Explorers, thank you for accepting the request. Please go to the locations marked on the map and bury the holy relics. That will complete the request.”
“How will you confirm the completion of the request?”
“Many priests in our order operate in the Forest area. You don’t have to worry about that. You can report the completion of the request at the exchange office in front of the labyrinth.”
“Alright.”
The elf priestess said her piece and returned to the temple.
The party members divided the boxes among themselves and headed towards the labyrinth.
They walked for a while, pushing through the dense crowd, and arrived at the labyrinth entrance.
“Line up!!! Line up!!!”
“Don’t push!”
“It’s crowded today. I need to hurry.”
“Don’t worry, guys, even if it’s your first time. Look at all these people. It can’t be that hard if so many people are doing it.”
People chatted while waiting in line.
He felt dizzy from the heat emanating from the crowd, on top of the already hot weather.
As he waited while sweating profusely, it was finally his party’s turn.
They stood on the magic circle under the guidance of the guards.
“Skar, don’t you have anything to say? Like, ‘What could go wrong?’”
There was a hint of amusement in Iron Mask’s voice.
“Sigh. Let’s just go. Quickly.”
Jeong Yoo-shin replied while panting.
He was already drenched in sweat before even entering the labyrinth.
He stood on the magic circle and gripped his flint tightly.
A bright light flashed, and he felt a floating sensation.
Then, darkness enveloped him.
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T/N – Dang, Iron Mask really went and said it. That’s a red flag, right there.
Also, that mage example reminds me of that ‘I cast fist meme.’ The guy really should have had his Mana to Muscle imprint removed when he was already strong enough. What did he expect would happen when one’s muscles just grew indefinitely without stopping?
If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.
Rather then the heart issue, I’m more surprised that his body didn’t just swell up with muscle until he collapsed under his own weight or exploded or something.
The imprint gets stronger when the MC recovers after almost dying? Too bad the MC almost never gets hurt huh