Ren's eyes darted around, searching for any weakness he could exploit, a gap between skill moves, a repeated motion, anything.
But the Ruin Kobold Trooper wasn't an easy target. Its skin was thick and tightly wrapped, like a hardened leather armor covering nearly its entire body, except for areas like the throat or eyes… the only places where a critical blow could be dealt.
But those spots were higher than Ren could reach. Even trying to climb up was a dangerous move.
Once again, the heavy axe came crashing down. This time it wasn't a horizontal swing, but a vertical chop aimed to crush Ren into dust.
He bent low, sliding across the rough stone floor. Debris from the shattered impact scattered everywhere. A flash of red crossed the edge of his vision, damage from flying stone fragments, but it was negligible.
'I have to bring it down,' Ren thought. 'As long as it's standing, I don't have the power to finish it off.'
Just as the axe blade was still embedded in the ground, Ren seized the moment, springing up like a coiled spring, swinging his sword directly into the joint behind the monster's right knee.
A red damage line appeared, larger than before. The Trooper roared, one leg buckling, but it didn't fall.
Another strike. Ren spun, pouring all his strength into a sweeping slash at the other knee.
The blade cut deep through the thick hide, letting out a screeching sound, like metal snapping apart. The monster staggered, then collapsed with a thunderous crash, shaking the ground.
Ren didn't miss the moment. He leapt up, stepping onto the monster's back like a staircase, his sword gleaming one last time.
"Don't get back up."
The blade plunged through the back of its neck—the one spot where the thin flesh was easily pierced.
A soft explosion echoed as the massive body of the Ruin Kobold Trooper shattered into hundreds of red-gray pixel fragments, floating briefly before dissolving away.
Ren collapsed onto the stone floor, gasping, sweat soaking his back. The battle was over.
[You have slain Ruin Kobold Trooper lv.7]
[You have gained 312 EXP]
[You have gained 130 cor]
[Congratulations! You have reached lv.9]
Ren leaned against the cold stone wall, breathing slowly, then opened his personal system menu with a familiar motion.
The semi-transparent interface appeared before him, soft light reflecting off his face in the maze's dim shadows.
[Name: Ren]
Level: 9 (123 / 1800 EXP)
HP: 650 / 650
STR (Strength): 23 (+2)
VIT (Vitality): 26
AGI (Agility): 30 (+8)
Free Stat Points: 3
Ren gently tapped on the "AGI" stat, staring at the boosted number. +8 came from his equipment, the lightweight cloak and armor, optimized for speed and mobility.
No stat stood out overwhelmingly, but overall, it was well-balanced.
For a solo player, Ren felt that was essential.
'I'm a little stronger than the average…' he thought, then smirked. '…Maybe. But honestly, I don't know anything at all.'
He had never compared his stat sheet with anyone else. Never asked. There was no one to ask. Since parting ways with Klein's group, Ren had been alone, and that seemed to be a deliberate choice.
A few drops of sweat rolled down his temple, cold and salty. The previous battle had nearly cost him his life. Three free points still remained. Ren hesitated.
'Should I put more into AGI to dodge better?'
'Or into STR to end fights faster?'
'VIT… so I don't go down in one more hit?'
There was no perfect option. And Ren knew… stronger foes awaited on the next floors.
He sat silently in the quiet maze, the system interface flickering before his eyes.
He slid his finger across the stat bar, eyebrows slightly furrowed. Speed wasn't enough. He needed to survive. Hit deeper. End fights faster.
He tapped VIT, adding 2 points.
VIT: 26 → 28
HP: 650 → 700
A heavier feeling spread through his body. As if his spine had been reinforced, his muscles more stable. Firmer. More enduring.
Then he selected STR, adding just a single point...but enough to make the sword in his hand feel a little heavier, sturdier, more real.
STR: 22 → 23
He closed the interface and stood up, back straight as if something more solid now supported it.
His cloak still had a tear on the shoulder. The scent of pixelated blood and stone dust lingered in the air. But Ren no longer felt fragile.
'I'm not the fastest, nor the strongest.'
'But… I'm getting better, little by little.'
There was still a path ahead. And the Kobolds wouldn't be the last to stand in his way.
.....
Ren walked along the narrow dirt path, each step crunching softly against the moss-covered gravel. The evening breeze swept gently through the golden barley fields on both sides, carrying with it the mild scent of dry grass and damp soil.
In the distance, windmills turned silently under the fading sunlight, their slow and steady rhythm as if trying to lull someone into a quiet dream.
Ren exhaled, shoulders slightly sagging.
Ten minutes.
Only ten minutes since he left the labyrinth, but the sensation of escaping the darkness and the screeching of steel had already lifted a weight off his mind.
He paused for a moment, placing a hand on the hem of his cloak, still stained with gray dust and faint cuts near the wrist. Whatever. The wounds weren't deep, and the system had already patched them up to some extent.
The afternoon light shone on his tilted face, casting pale streaks across his cheek. Tolbana, the town nestled in the valley, its tall brick walls surrounding it and its lights just starting to flicker on, now peeked through the line of trees.
Ren's lips curved slightly. Not quite a smile, but no longer the cold gloom he had worn in the labyrinth.
Peaceful.
A fleeting moment, but real and precious.
Under the slanted sunset that spread over the red-tiled roofs, Ren turned into the market area of Tolbana.
The clean cobblestone streets revealed faded patterns worn down by time, creating a sense that was both ancient and alive. Shops lining both sides of the road had begun to light up, warm yellow glows shining through simple glass lanterns.
Ren stopped by Agil's stall. After a brief round of bargaining, he sold off a pile of miscellaneous materials gathered in the labyrinth. His inventory felt lighter, and his wallet a bit heavier... though the Cor was stored inside the inventory anyway.
Not lingering long, Ren headed toward the forge near the end of the market. His sword needed sharpening, and a few armor plates had started to get scratched along the edges.
But he didn't get to enter.
"Ren!"
A voice called out from behind, not loud or noisy, but clear enough to stand out amid the lively sounds of the evening market.
Ren froze. In that fleeting moment, his footsteps, the passing breeze, and even the flickering firelight from the forge ahead seemed to freeze in place.
Someone had just called his name. Clearly. Unmistakably.
Ren furrowed his brows slightly, then quickly turned away, stepping into the forge as if refusing to be pulled into something unwanted.
But a figure leapt forward, blocking his path.
It was a girl, around his age, though her face bore a more mature look. Pink eyes and short, matching hair that stuck out in playful tufts like sun-dried straw, she looked from afar like a small pumpkin sitting atop her head. Strange, but somehow fitting.
She wore light leather armor and still held a blacksmith's hammer in her hand.
Lisbeth.
She looked at Ren, her eyes filled with visible guilt. She didn't mean to... That time, it really had been an accident.
"I'm sorry," she said, bowing slightly. "About your sword… Not only did I fail to fix it, but I also reduced its maximum durability."
Her voice dropped, yet remained unmistakably sincere.
Lisbeth's gaze held deep worry. Truth be told, not many players let her touch their gear anymore. Her blacksmithing skills… were still lacking.
But to get better, she needed practice. To practice, she needed materials. And to get materials, she needed trust…
A closed cycle, with no one stepping in, and no way to break through.
She just needed one chance.
Ren was one of the few who had ever given Lisbeth that chance… even if the price she offered was practically free.
The last time she saw him, she had singlehandedly caused his sword to lose its maximum durability. Not just a scratch, not just a minor glitch easily overlooked, but a blow straight to the fragile trust between two strangers.
Ren frowned slightly. Then he shook his head, his eyes showing no trace of reproach.
"Don't worry about it."
His voice was low, almost definitive. But behind that calm tone was a faint layer of something unnamed, like quiet ash settling on steel.
Ren hadn't expected her to be so persistent. Back then, he had spent every last coin, not even enough for minor repairs. In desperation, he searched for a budget forge...and Lisbeth appeared.
The first time, the second time...things were still manageable. But by the third...
Ren's fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword, an almost unconscious gesture.
The sword at his waist trembled slightly, as if responding, though a different smith had patched up the previous damage.
It still worked, but it was no longer the same. And that, Ren could never forget.
Lisbeth pressed her lips together, fingers tightening on the hammer's grip. She had almost decided not to chase after him, to let him turn into the forge and quietly let it all go.
But when she saw that familiar back among the crowd—quiet, solitary, and somehow… familiar—she couldn't stop herself.
"I'll make it up to you," she added, voice slightly trembling. "You won't have to pay me. As long as… you give me a chance to fix my mistake."
Ren didn't respond right away. He simply looked at her, his gaze not cold, but not easily accepting either. A heavy silence passed between the sound of hammering and the scent of hot coals from the forge behind.
Ren didn't respond right away. He simply looked at her, his gaze not cold, but not easily accepting either. A heavy silence passed between the sound of hammering and the scent of hot coals from the forge behind.
"This time, if you mess it up again, you'll have to forge me a new one. Not just fix it."
Lisbeth's eyes lit up a little, as if an invisible string wrapped tight around her chest had just been loosened. She nodded firmly.
"I promise!"