Ah… I think it's better if I leave.
The forest whispered, the leaves rustled softly, almost too faint to notice but Souta's senses, sharpened by battle and exhaustion alike, caught it. The quiet was wrong, too deliberate.
Amateurs? he thought, his lips twitching faintly. But he didn't care enough to investigate. Whoever was following him could do as they pleased. His only goal now was to get home alive.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
His legs wobbled, his vision swayed. The metallic taste of blood lingered on his tongue, and his lungs burned with every breath. His mind screamed for vigilance but his body only craved rest, peace and silence.
Then, from the shade of twisted trees, two silhouettes emerged a boy and a girl. Hunters, by the look of them. Their aura was steady but faintly arrogant, like people who believed they were in control.
They weren't.
Souta straightened slightly.
"Hey, boy," the girl said in a calm yet measured tone, her eyes scanning him from head to toe, calculating.
Before she could continue, the boy beside her spoke up. "We were just passing through hunting monsters. Then we saw you. You look like you're about to collapse. We thought we should help."
He smiled politely, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"You're new here, right? We can help you get back to the first floor. There are healers and more hunters there."
It sounded logical and helpful, even.
But something in their presence set off alarms in Souta's mind.
Still, he nodded slowly. "…Alright. I'd appreciate that."
…
Minutes blurred into a slow march.
The forest's oppressive silence gave way to the faint crackle of fire ahead a small camp built in the labyrinth's first floor. Five hunters sat around a bonfire, their faces lit by its glow. They looked ordinary, friendly even. The smell of cooked meat hung in the air.
Souta felt his guard ease slightly. If he had gone alone, he probably would've collapsed before finding any portal. The boy wasn't wrong about that.
"Okay, kid, we'll be heading deeper," the boy said with a faint wave.
"Thanks for the help," Souta replied.
The girl didn't speak. She simply watched him, her eyes cold and curious, like she was studying a rare creature.
Then they were gone, vanishing into the misted corridors of the labyrinth.
…
A healer at the camp started healing souta with her healing powers. But souta didn't plan on staying till he heals fully. After a minute of the warm pressure, Souta stood up quietly.
"Void Step."
The air shimmered.
A ripple spread like water disturbed by a pebble and then, in an instant, he vanished.
"Huh?! Where did he go?!"
"What the—did he just teleport?!"
The camp erupted in shocked murmurs, their faces twisting in disbelief.
Far from their voices, Airi and Daiki stood behind a cluster of trees, having never truly left.
Daiki's eyes narrowed. "Airi… did you see that?"
"Yes," she murmured. "That wasn't a normal movement. That boy… he's not some rookie."
…
Deeper in the woods, outside the labyrinth, Souta stumbled upon a small cave.
He ducked inside, the cold air brushing against his bruised skin. He exhaled deeply and laughed under his breath.
"Hope my exit looked mysterious," he muttered.
He leaned against the stone wall and slid down until he sat on the floor. The earth was cool beneath him. The silence felt… safe.
"That was such a pain," he mumbled. "All I wanted was a low-rank dungeon raid… and I ended up fighting D-rank and C-rank beasts."
He smiled weakly, almost bitterly. "This is frustrating, I just want to go home."
"Status."
———~Ω~———
Name: Souta Kaede
Age: 18
Race: Human
Class: Boundless
Title: Reborn One
Level: 10 [85/100]
Rank: SSS
Attribute Points: +26
Strength: 35
Agility: 44
Endurance: 36
Intelligence: 29
Luck: 12
Skills: 3
Traits: 3
—————————
"Ugh. Level 10," he groaned. "At least I got a new skill…"
He lightly punched the ground, staring at the glowing panel before him. The numbers mocked him all that blood and pain for so little growth.
"When will I even reach Level 100… and master my class?" he whispered. "This is too slow…"
He sighed and rubbed his temples. The system flickered softly, waiting.
"...Alright. I'll put them all into Luck. I really need it."
He didn't trust his strength anymore. Not his defense. What he needed now… was a miracle.
"Inventory."
The translucent panel expanded, listing his spoils from the dungeon.
—Beast Fang Dagger (Rare)
—Monster Core (D-Rank) ×7
—Metal Plating Fragment ×2
—Steamgnasher Core (C-Rank) ×1
—Acid-Vein Scale ×2
—Dreadfang Hide ×3
—Beast Fang ×2
—Dreadfang Core (C-Rank) ×1
—Dreadhide Cloak (C-Rank Armor) (Rare)
—Corrupted Fang Necklace
"Hm… interesti—"
His voice faded as his eyelids grew heavy.
THUD.
He collapsed sideways, not unconscious… just empty. The exhaustion was too deep to fight, his body finally gave in.
…
Hours later…
"Ugh…" Souta's eyes fluttered open. The world outside the cave had dimmed. The sun hid behind slow moving clouds, and a soft wind carried the scent of rain.
His back ached from the uneven ground. His wounds had closed a bit, but the pain still lingered like a dull echo.
"How long was I out?" he muttered. His voice sounded rough, dry.
He pushed himself to his feet, wincing. "Damn it… I should head back to the guild. Maybe trade some cores."
The forest was silent as he walked, save for the crunch of leaves under his boots. The air was cool. The kind of peace that came only after chaos.
"I almost died today," he whispered. The words hung in the air like confession.
His mind replayed everything the snarling wolves, the acid, the roar of the Dreadfang.
And that moment when his trait, Cursed Curiosity, had awakened… dragging him beyond reason, beyond pain.
If he had hesitated even once… he'd be a corpse.
"But I survived," he said softly. A small, tired smile curved his lips. "That's enough."
…
—Hunter's Guild—
The moment he stepped through the guild doors, conversation stilled. A few heads turned. The receptionist, Luna, looked up from her desk and froze.
"Souta?! You're back?" she gasped.
He raised a weak hand. "Yeah, barely."
She stared at him his torn clothes, his bloodied hands, the lifeless look in his eyes, He looked more like a ghost than a man.
Would you… like to make some exchanges today? she asked softly.
"Yes."
He handed over his items. She counted quietly, then passed him a pouch of coins.
Thank you, he said with a faint smile. "I'll be going."
Rest well, she replied, watching as he turned and walked away.
…
The city was calm, lanterns flickered. The smell of roasted food filled the streets.
He walked past taverns where hunters laughed and drank, their joy echoing like another world entirely. For a moment, he paused, watching them through the window.
They looked free, He felt… hollow.
He turned away and continued until he reached his small rented room. The door creaked as he opened it. Inside, nothing waited for him just a bed, a table, and the silence he had grown used to.
"This is my life now?" he whispered.
He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.
"No family, No friends, No one even knows who I really am."
His thoughts drifted back to the dungeon the fear, the blood, the thrill. That pulse of power when Cursed Curiosity took over.
"…I'm so tired."
He lay back, eyes fixed on the cracked ceiling.
"Tomorrow… I will rest," he murmured. "Then train, Then maybe… another dungeon."
His voice faded and before he realized it, he was asleep swallowed by the silence he always returned to.