66. The Surface Air Is Sweet

“We made it alive!”

I shouted with joy.

I had escaped alive from that hellish place once again.

Outside the labyrinth, it was early morning.

I had used an hourglass inside the labyrinth to roughly measure the time, and judging by the fact that I emerged around the predicted time, my estimation seemed fairly accurate.

Looking around, I spotted a few adventurers preparing to enter the labyrinth, and porters bustling about among them.

Seeing people moving around made me truly feel that I had safely escaped the labyrinth.

There had been sudden monster waves, the darkness of the labyrinth, and even an encounter with heretics, but for now, I was just relieved to have returned unharmed.

Despite the severe hardships, the fact that my entire party-aside from me-were complete beginners yet still survived was a good outcome.

It was thanks to each of them having considerable talent.

Now, having led a second group of total newbies through the labyrinth and brought them out alive with minimal casualties, I felt a renewed sense of accomplishment.

Did I have a talent for teaching, perhaps?

What if, after retiring, I opened a small academy-something like a little school-for labyrinth training?

The thought of teaching others and growing together didn’t seem so bad.

“Shion! I made it out too!”

“Welcome, my lady. It’s good to see you back on the surface.”

“What’s with that exaggerated greeting?”

“I’m just happy. It feels rewarding that everyone followed my lead so well. My heart’s swelling with pride.”

“Huh? That much? Didn’t we always listen to you?”

“Do you not remember our first time entering the labyrinth together? I was treated like a mere porter back then.”

“I don’t really recall. My memories of the first labyrinth run are hazy. Hmm. Well, the only thing I remember is seeing your dick.”

“Wha- My lady! Have you lost your mind?! Why bring that up all of a sudden?”

“What? You’re the one who took it out and showed me. You even let me touch it.”

“That’s because you said you wanted to see it!”

“So if I say I want to see it, you just whip it out? Can’t you show me again?”

“No, seriously, what’s wrong with you this early in the morning?! What’s with all this dick talk?! It’s indecent, my lady.”

“What? Why won’t you show me? Show me! Should we duck into that alley for a quick peek?”

“Ugh, no! Stop tugging at my clothes!”

Had this lady lost her mind? Did the labyrinth stress get to her too much? She kept pestering me to show her my dick.

For someone who’s a virgin, she sure acts bold. The moment I actually take it out, she’d probably just freeze up in embarrassment.

Fine. I won’t show her.

“I won’t show you my dick, but I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Yeah. It’s a relief. Despite our bad luck, it’s good that everyone made it out unharmed.”

Our luck had been pretty bad.

First, we got hit by a sudden monster wave.

Then, just as we were about to sleep, the darkness of the labyrinth came knocking.

And when we thought it was all over and tried to leave, heretics mocked us and ran away.

We endured all that unfairness and still escaped with our limbs and bodies intact.

Naturally, a strong bond had formed between us.

Between me and the lady, there was a camaraderie.

Something thicker than just dirty jokes.

“I just suddenly wanted to see it and ended up pestering you. Sorry. That was childish of me.”

“No, it’s fine. I mean, if you’re happy, it’s understandable.”

“Hehe. Yeah, I’m happy. You really are my lucky charm.”

“Lucky charm?”

“Yeah. With you around, the survival rate goes up. So you’re like a lucky charm.”

“Is that so? Being treated like a charm…”

“No! I’m not treating you like a tool! It’s a compliment! A compliment! Why do you keep making that face?!”

“Ow! That hurts, my lady! Stop pinching me! Aah!”

She pinched my elbow as I pretended to sulk.

Well, she wasn’t wrong. Statistically speaking, whenever I entered the labyrinth with someone, they almost always made it out alive. So in a way, I was something like a luck totem.

Anyway, this marked the end of my second labyrinth run with the lady.

She still had a long way to go before becoming a proper adventurer, but compared to last time, she had clearly grown.

Her movements had improved quite a bit.

She still seemed awkward with her silver thread, but she handled her dagger pretty well.

Probably thanks to her so-called “teacher” properly instructing her.

“Haaah. The air is so fresh. Hooah. Hooah. Ssshhh. Hooooo.”

“Rika… You’re way too energetic…”

“Stand tall, Rien! We’re alive, aren’t we?!”

“Hehehe. You’re right. We made it. Thank goodness. Cough.”

Soon, the rest of the party crossed through the gate and emerged outside.

Rika, in particular, looked exhilarated.

She must have been deeply moved by the fact that she had made it through so many threats unscathed.

“My arms and legs are all sore…”

“That’s because you never exercise. You should register at the Martial Hall. Train with me and Shion.”

“Cough. Cough…”

“Erika, was that a cough just now?”

“Ah, my throat’s just a bit dry.”

“You’re not as healthy as you look either, huh? Erika, you should register at the Martial Hall too.”

“I-I have volunteer work to do…”

Rien was groaning about her aching body, looking half-dead, and Erika also seemed somewhat haggard.

After nearly three days of navigating the labyrinth, it was understandable they’d be exhausted.

But Rika, for some reason, still seemed physically fine-maybe even energetic.

In fact, her workout switch must have flipped, because she was now urging the near-dead Rien and Erika to sign up for the Martial Hall.

A true muscle-brained knight through and through.

“Rika-nim, you look really happy.”

“Of course. I’m incredibly proud. Is this the true thrill of a labyrinth run?”

She seemed genuinely pleased with herself for completing a proper labyrinth expedition.

It was hard not to feel a little smug.

You could say she was intoxicated by the fact that she had overcome hardships and survived.

It’s a common symptom among apprentice adventurers unfamiliar with labyrinth runs.

A kind of middle-schooler syndrome, you might say.

Especially for a knight like Rika, who loved cringey emotions, it made sense she’d be drunk on her own situation.

Last time, she barely escaped with her life. This time, she made it out alive-something to be proud of.

“But the air feels strangely sweet. Like, it’s soothing. Shion, is this normal? Was the surface air always this sweet and delicious?”

“Yeah. It’s always like this. Everyone says the same after leaving the labyrinth. I think it’s about to start soon.”

“Huh? What is?”

“Maso adaptation.”

Whenever you return to the surface from the labyrinth, you always get this feeling like your chest has been cleared.

The fresh air rushes into your lungs, unclogging whatever was stuck.

It feels like the dust of the labyrinth, which had been polluting your lungs, dissolves away in the surface air.

And right after this refreshing sensation, maso adaptation always follows.

“Ghk.”

“Aah…”

Erika and Lady Leah grimaced and hunched over.

The pain had arrived.

This pain was part of the process-a sign of growth.

You could think of it as experiencing growing pains at an accelerated rate.

“Wh-what is this…? My whole body hurts.”

“Calm down, Rika-nim. It’s maso adaptation.”

“This… is maso adaptation?! Aah… My muscles are twitching. I feel like I’m getting stronger.”

“Because you are getting stronger.”

“Is it really this easy to train your body? I can feel my muscles growing in real time. This… This isn’t natural muscle growth!”

“Well, of course not. It’s power gained from an unnatural place.”

“I see… It feels like taking performance-enhancing drugs.”

“If you had to choose between natural and unnatural, this leans toward unnatural. Though calling it drugs might be a stretch.”

“Natchu what?”

“An unnatural phenomenon. But aren’t you in pain? You’re talking just fine.”

“This level of pain is nothing. When I trained under my father, I was always getting beaten up. Compared to that, this is like sipping sweet fruit juice.”

I thought Rika would panic since it was her first time experiencing maso adaptation, but she endured the sudden full-body muscle pain without issue.

Given how she swung her sword effortlessly even when monsters swarmed her, I guess sudden muscle pain was nothing to her.

In a way, it was impressive. Is this what happens when you reach the pinnacle of obliviousness?

“Either way, congratulations, Rika-nim. You’ve just shed your beginner’s tag.”

“I see. Like losing my virginity.”

“Huh? Virginity what? Losing it?”

“Indeed, maso adaptation feels like enduring an intense, condensed training session.”

Rika ignored my question and shared her impressions instead. Though I was intrigued by her casual mention of “losing virginity,” the metaphor fit perfectly.

The ultimate effect of maso adaptation was physical strengthening, so it made sense that her body ached as if she’d undergone rigorous training.

After maso adaptation, physical abilities improve overall, and mana capacity increases.

Naturally experiencing this would take years of training.

Maso adaptation just speeds up that process.

It instantly elevates physical abilities that would otherwise take years to build.

It even enhances potential, which is why those who seek power inevitably keep returning to the labyrinth.

To raise their limits, unlock their potential, and gain greater strength.

Most of them end up assimilated into the labyrinth, becoming monsters wandering its depths.

“Rien, are you okay?”

“Yeah… I don’t think I went through maso adaptation this time… Too bad… Could’ve boosted my mana without meditating… Don’t wanna train… Right?”

“Wait, Rien. Isn’t your personality changing? You’ve gone from gloomy to outright lazy-what’s going on?!”

“Huh…? Lazy? You damn porter… What are you talking about?! I-I’m diligent…!”

“It’s just, you always seem so listless.”

“That’s… because of the labyrinth…”

So Rien becomes lazy in the labyrinth.

Her mental strength is good, but I guess her trauma from the labyrinth affects her.

She has plenty of talent. If she can overcome her trauma, she’d make a fine adventurer.

Wait, why do I keep thinking like some mentor assessing his students?

Guiding them through the labyrinth and teaching them its workings made me see these women as my disciples.

I shouldn’t get too attached.

“Ugh… Headache…”

Then Rika and the lady clutched their heads.

So they both gained abilities.

Come to think of it, Erika had also gained a simple but invaluable ability for a priestess-increased healing potency.

I wonder what abilities Rika and Lady Leah got.

“Did you get something good?”

“An ability called ‘Pain Ignorance.’ Is that good?”

“Pain Ignorance? Absolutely. No, scratch that-it’s perfect for you. Knights and warriors would kill for that ability.”

“Really? Hahahaha! That feels great! The effect’s substantial too. It says I can ignore pain. That’s pretty amazing, right? It’s even better than my family’s Pain Resistance Ring. Hehe. Jealous, porter? You look kinda gloomy.”

“Grr… Flexing…”

“Flexing? What do you mean?”

“Just showing off.”

“Hehehe. Must be eating you up with envy. Ah, this is why people enter the labyrinth. With this and my Pain Resistance Ring, I could keep fighting even if my arm got chopped off.”

“You could keep moving…”

You could, but running around with a severed arm would just lead to fatal blood loss sooner or later.

Pain Ignorance removes the pain, not the injury. It’s like a side-effect-free painkiller that lets you function temporarily despite damage.

For frontline fighters constantly exposed to pain, this ability could change the tide of battle depending on how it’s used.

Honestly, I’m jealous. With that ability, surgeries or injections wouldn’t hurt.

During treatments, wounds often have to be widened to remove foreign objects-that’s when Pain Ignorance would shine.

I am envious. But my Dimensional Pouch is better, right?

Yeah, no reason to be jealous. My ability is superior.

“What about you, my lady?”

“I got ‘Quick Hands.’ Lets me act faster. It’s good.”

“You’ll be able to throw daggers even quicker now. That’s a fantastic ability too. You can finish off enemies swiftly, and anything involving hand dexterity will improve rapidly.”

The lady got an ability perfect for those who rely on manual skills.

She’ll probably handle objects much faster now. I think of it as an ability that drastically boosts proficiency.

Anything involving speed and precision will become easier.

Now this is envy-inducing.

Both Rika and the lady got abilities perfectly suited to their roles.

No matter how good an ability is, if it lands with the wrong person, it’ll just go to waste.

Abilities are best when they find their ideal owners.

“So this is what abilities are like. Fascinating.”

“Interesting, right? It’s like information gets directly imprinted into your brain.”

“Yeah. Incredibly so. It feels like encountering some inexplicable miracle.”

“An inexplicable miracle… Maybe it’s the labyrinth’s blessing.”

Well, this marks the true end of our labyrinth run.

We escaped safely, underwent maso adaptation, and gained abilities.

All that’s left now is the celebration feast.

“Let’s all grab a drink. After a safe return, a feast is mandatory.”

It’s an unspoken rule of labyrinth cities.

After a proper adventure, you have to unwind with alcohol.

“I’ll pay.”

“No need, my lady. The party leader traditionally buys the first round. Let’s go. A light meal and some ale, then we’ll call it a night.”

We all headed to a tavern together.

Since everyone looked exhausted, a light meal and a drink or two before sending them home seemed like the right call.