I woke up earlier than usual.
Not because of a nightmare. Not because of the Labyrinth's distant hum.
But because my body felt… ready.
I sat up on the bed, stretching slowly. My muscles responded instantly, no stiffness, no lingering fatigue from yesterday's. It was subtle, but unmistakable—my body was no longer dragging itself forward out of habit. It wanted to move.
"Morning already?"
Solenne's voice came from the couch.
I turned my head. She was sitting upright, legs tucked beneath her, silver hair a mess from sleep. She looked smaller like this. Less like a goddess. More like… someone who belonged here.
"Yeah," I said. "Couldn't sleep."
She smiled sleepily. "Nervous?"
"Something like that."
We didn't need to say it out loud. Today would be my first real descent since becoming part of a familia. My first time entering the Labyrinth with an active blessing.
After a quick breakfast, we headed out.
The streets near the gate were already crowded. Adventurers checked weapons, compared statuses, laughed loudly to mask fear. Some wore insignias of powerful familias. Others—like me—wore nothing but worn gear and quiet determination.
Solenne stopped just before the gate.
"This is as far as I go," she said.
"I know."
She looked up at me. "Don't die."
I smirked. "That's the plan."
The gate opened, swallowing me whole.
-
The first floor of the Labyrinth was unchanged.
Stone corridors slick with moisture. Dim light pulsing faintly from glowing veins embedded in the walls. The smell of damp earth and iron hung thick in the air.
But I was different.
I could feel it immediately.
My footsteps were lighter. My breathing steadier. Even the ambient pressure of the Labyrinth—something I'd grown used to fighting against—felt less oppressive.
"Okay," I muttered. "Let's see what Level 2 actually means."
A wet sound echoed ahead.
I tightened my grip on my short sword just as a goblin stepped into view, its skin a sickly green, rusted blade dragging against the stone. It snarled when it saw me.
Normally, I'd brace myself. Prepare for a long, careful exchange.
This time, my body moved first.
I stepped in, faster than I ever had before, and slashed.
The blade cut cleanly across its throat.
The goblin collapsed before it even understood what happened.
I froze. "…What?"
A familiar sensation rushed through me—warmth spreading from my chest outward. My status window flickered briefly.
Experience gained.
And something else.
Far above, beyond stone and distance, I felt it—Solenne.
Not her voice. Not her presence.
But a pull.
Like two cups connected by a thin stream of water.
"…So that's how it works," I murmured.
I continued deeper into the floor.
Each fight added to the weight. Each victory made the sensation stronger—like my body was holding onto something it wasn't allowed to release on its own. By the time I finished my third circuit of the area, my muscles were trembling, not from exhaustion, but from restraint.
It was too much.
I knew it instinctively.
I pulled back and exited the Labyrinth.
-
Solenne was waiting near the gate, arms folded, eyes sharp the moment she saw me.
"You're holding a lot," she said casually.
I exhaled. "Feels like my body's stuffed full."
She smiled. "Good. That means it's working."
We walked away from the gate together, blending into the crowd of returning adventurers.
"No leveling yet," she said lightly. "But you're close."
"I figured," I replied. "Feels like a dam about to crack."
She glanced at me. "You handled yourself well."
I shrugged. "Didn't almost die this time. That's new."
She laughed. "Progress doesn't always come with fireworks."
Back at the apartment, I dropped my gear and sat heavily on the couch.
"So this is what it's like," I said quietly. "To actually keep what you earn."
Solenne sat across from me, watching thoughtfully. "Most adventurers never notice that stage. They level up the moment they're full. You… you'll remember it."
I nodded.
Then Solenne slowly approaced me and stood behind me, fingers hovering just above the brand on my back. She hadn't touched it yet.
"I will update your status, okay?" she asked casually.
"Yeah," I replied. "If I don't let you update it now, I'm not sleeping anyway."
She smiled. "Fair."
I turned slightly. "But just checking—this won't push me over to Level 3, right?"
"No," she said confidently. "You're close, but not there yet. Think of this as… maintenance."
"…Maintenance."
She placed her hand on my back.
The brand reacted instantly.
Warmth spread outward, gentler than before, but deeper—like fine adjustments rather than brute reinforcement. My vision blurred for a moment as faint symbols flickered into existence.
Not numbers, but something else.
Solenne's hand stilled.
"…That's strange," she murmured.
My stomach tightened. "That's not a sentence I like hearing."
She ignored me, eyes narrowing as if she were reading something only she could see. The warmth intensified, then suddenly shifted—condensing, focusing, locking into place.
My heart skipped.
A new window appeared before my eyes.
New Skill Acquired
I sucked in a breath. "…A skill?"
Solenne pulled her hand back slowly, staring at me like I'd just done something impossible.
"…Kael," she said quietly, "do you have any idea what just happened?"
I swallowed. "Judging by your tone? Something bad."
"…No," she said. "Something absurd."
The skill window expanded, text forming line by line.
-
Skill Name:Deferred Ascension
Rank: Unique
Type: Passive
Effect: Experience gained while unable to level is preserved at full efficiency. Upon status updates, accumulated experience converts at an accelerated rate. Growth resistance decreases the longer the user remains unlevelled.
-
I stared.
Once. Twice.
"…I don't get it," I said honestly.
Solenne let out a shaky laugh. "Of course you don't. You're not supposed to."
She sat down across from me, suddenly serious. "Kael… this skill shouldn't exist."
My chest tightened. "What do you mean shouldn't?"
"I mean exactly that," she replied. "Skills like this don't appear under normal circumstances. Not from talent. Not from luck. Not even from divine favoritism."
She leaned forward.
"This is a one-in-a-million anomaly."
I frowned. "All it does is help me level faster, right?"
She shook her head. "No. It explains why you survived."
I went still.
"You spent three years accumulating experience without release," she continued. "Most people would've broken. Their bodies would've failed. Their minds would've given up."
"…I almost did," I admitted.
"But you didn't," she said firmly. "And the system—whether divine or something older—recognized that."
She gestured toward the glowing window. "Deferred Ascension is a response. A correction. It means every moment you were denied growth… mattered."
My throat felt tight.
"So all those years weren't wasted," I said quietly.
Solenne smiled softly. "No. They were forged."
I looked back at the skill description.
Growth resistance decreases the longer the user remains unlevelled.
"…That means," I said slowly, "the longer I was stuck at Level 1…"
"The easier it becomes for you to grow now," she finished. "Compared to others."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
"So I really am faster than normal adventurers."
"Yes," she said without hesitation. "Much faster."