[Goblins Defeated: 50/50]
[Quest Complete.]
[You have cleared the 3rd Floor of the Labyrinth.]
[You are the First to Clear the 3rd Floor.]
-
[You are the Fastest to Clear the 3rd Floor: 57 minutes, 19 seconds]
[Rewarding Bonus Experience…]
"Ha... You'd better cough up something nice for me, because I just earned this reward the hard way like, sore knuckles hard!"
[Anomaly Detected: Floor 3 contained non-native entities.]
[Two (2) Hobgoblins identified—unauthorized variant for standard difficulty.]
[Adjusting Reward Parameters…]
[Rewards Calculated.]
[Reward Tier Increased.]
▸ Unique Title Acquired: 『Breaker of Balance』
You shattered the intended rhythm of the Labyrinth, facing evolved monsters not meant for this floor—and survived. The system recognizes your disruption.
+10% Damage against Variant and Elite-type enemies
+5% Resistance to Physical Crowd Control (Stagger, Knockback, Disarm)
+3% chance to trigger [Instinct Surge] on critical health
You permanently gain the trait: [Adaptive Combat Response]
(Reflexively adjust to unfamiliar enemy types with a scaling bonus to evasion and counterattack efficiency)
—
▸ Reward Received: 『Skill Book – Feral Brutality: Hobgoblin Grapple Arts』 [Rare, Rank B]
A brutal, close-quarters fighting style derived from the bone-cracking brawls of Hobgoblin warlords. Unrefined but devastating in the hands of a survivor.
Learn the skill: [Feral Grappling – Bonebind Technique Lv.1]
– Unlocks a martial path that favors unarmed and improvised weapon combat
– Enables bone-crush, joint-lock, and slam-based finishers
– Gain passive [Pain Ignorance] while grappling or mid-chain
– Scales with STR and END
—
▸ Anomaly Compensation Received: 『Core Shard: Hobgoblin Variant』
A volatile, dungeon-born fragment harvested from an unnatural variant entity. It's humming faintly, as if aware of your presence.
Use: ???
(A strange reaction may occur when brought near certain dungeon nodes, Vassal Altars, or forge sites.)
[This item is flagged as "Singular." It cannot be duplicated or traded.]
—
▸ Equipment Acquired: 『Bracers of the Mad Fang』 [Uncommon+]
Reinforced hide and jagged plating once worn by a Hobgoblin Alpha. Fits the wrists of the desperate and the brutal.
+15% Unarmed Damage
Reduces self-inflicted hand damage by 40%
Adds passive effect: [Rip & Tear]
(5% chance on hit to apply Bleed)
—
[All rewards have been transferred to your inventory.]
[Updating Floor Access...]
[You may now enter Floor 4.]
[Fast Travel Unlocked: Floor 1 ↔ Floor 3]
I stared at the string of rewards as they unfurled in front of me like banners of victory. The warmth of triumph settled in my chest—but it was the kind of warmth you earned with blood, bruises, and shattered knuckles.
The rewards kept rolling in like a jackpot. Titles, skills, gear, even that strange Core Shard humming in my inventory like a heartbeat out of sync.
It was so good. All of it. And yet—
[Access Denied: You are not bound to an Astral Patron.]
My grin thinned.
"Figures..." I muttered under my breath.
I couldn't equip them. Not yet. Not without swearing to one of the Astral freaks above.
That was the catch.
The System could flood me with treasure, drown me in power—but until I made a pact, most of it stayed just out of reach. Like candy behind reinforced glass.
"Still not worth it," I muttered. "Not until you show up."
As usual, a notification will pop up once you cleared the floor faster than anybody else.
-
[System Alert – First Clear Recognition]
Your achievement shall be recorded in the Hall of Firsts.
A name is required for the inscription. This name will be eternal, visible to all challengers who follow. Choose wisely.
Please input the name to be etched into the Hall of Firsts:
(....)
And as usual, I entered the name "Blank"
[The name 'Blank' has been registered.]
[Labyrinth – 3rd Floor: Cleared]
[Cleared By: Blank ]
[Completion Time: 57 minutes, 19 seconds]
[You are being returned to Earth.]
[Please stand by.]
[You have cleared Floor 3.]
-
[Returning to Earth…]
[Cooldown started.]
[Time until reentry: 59 minutes, 50 seconds]
After being transported back to earth, notification popped up worldwide.
[System Message]
[Someone has cleared the 3rd Floor of the Labyrinth!]
[The 4th Floor of the Labyrinth will open in 1 hour.]
[20 days have been added to the Annihilation Countdown.]
[Time Remaining Until Annihilation: 79 Days, 20 Hours, 1 Minutes, 02 Seconds]
@FrostHex: "Wait, what?! The third floor's already cleared??"
@NovaTrace: "Bro… it just opened."
@SludgeEater77: "You gotta be kidding me. Who the hell ran through it like that?!"
@LuminaShard: "They're not just fast—they're surgical. This isn't normal. That kind of speed means they knew what was coming."
@StrikerHelix: "Not gonna lie, I'm impressed. And kind of scared."
@FoxGlitch: "Some of us are still getting clapped by Goblin Scouts on Floor 1, and this psycho's out here speedrunning bosses."
@NullSpecter: "Gotta be a top-tier Vassal. Maybe someone from Obsidian Tier? Or a sleeper from the Hall of Firsts?"
@PatchSync: "Yo, whoever did this? Different breed. I'm calling it now—Blank's not human."
@VassalAuris: "I saw a thread. Some guy named Blank. First to clear Floor 1 and 2. If that's the same person… damn."
@RiftFanatic: "No shot… Blank again? That dude's rewriting the whole damn playbook."
@QuietWren: "I've been following him since the Sludge strat post. Guy's got that killer instinct."
@RotgutRunner: "This changes everything. First Floor barely stabilized and someone's already breaking the ceiling on Floor 3?"
@SkepticChain: "Blank? Nah. That was just hype talk. You sure it wasn't a coordinated group run?"
@VidNoProof: "Don't believe it unless there's footage. Anyone can claim a clear."
@FoxGlitch: "Nah, check the thread again. He posted receipts from the first floor—solo clears, strats, timings. This guy's not bluffing."
@StrikerHelix: "If he's real, we're watching history. I'm grabbing popcorn and a notebook."
I opened the Astral Community tab while waiting out the cooldown. My body ached, my knuckles were pulsing, but curiosity overpowered pain.
Sure enough, the digital ether was a wildfire.
[ Astral Community Feed – GLOBAL ]
@EpochBlade: "Blank again?! Man's got plot armor, I swear."
@GhostChanter: "Every damn floor this guy clears feels like a trailer drop for a new raid boss."
@CoreDrifter: "Someone said the floor had Goblins??
@DissonantWolf: "No way this dude's normal. Blank's either a Vassal hiding their Patron or the first godless lunatic breaking the system."
@CruxVassal: "If Blank's really doing this without a Patron... then we've all been playing wrong."
@RavineScout: "Doesn't matter how good you are. Without a Guild, you'll hit a wall eventually. Trust me."
@IronMocker: "…about that. 👀"
A new Pinned Post caught my eye. Fresh. Blinking. Already gaining traction.
***
Post by AetherForge [Ranked Vassal, Bronze Tier]
Guild Recruitment – "Labyrinth Vanguard"
With the third floor cleared, and the fourth opening soon, we're officially launching recruitment.
Looking for serious Climbers, strategists, and fighters who aren't afraid to push the edge of the unknown.
We only accept Vassals. You bring the grit, we'll bring the resources.
DM for Trials. First come, first tested.
[Guild ID: 404-Forge]
Let's write history together. Or die trying.
***
'Of course they'd start forming now.'
Another System Notification blinked into the corner of my vision, almost as if it had been waiting for me to finish scrolling.
[ New Feature Unlocked – GUILD SYSTEM ]
A new function has been added to the Labyrinth Interface.
Players may now:
▸ Create or join Guilds
▸ Form official parties with shared experience and loot bonuses
▸ Participate in Guild Raids, Bounties, and Domain Conquests
▸ Access exclusive Guild Halls and Shared Vaults
▸ Unlock Guild-specific Titles and Faction Benefits
Guild creation is currently limited to users who have cleared at least Floor 3.