Chapter 1

Supporting myself on my pitchfork, I heaved my fatigued body to the mold-stained oak door creaked, hinges whining as I shoved it open. I wiped the dirt and grime off my calloused hands, a sign of my desperate attempt to salvage the deteriorating hygiene of the hut I called home. The shoddily built shack had lasted us a couple winters, though the holes in the walls might say otherwise. I sighed at the lack of workmanship. With her out of commission, nothing much could have been done; the previous harvest had been rough, and the new year's prospects weren't exactly sunshine and rainbows. With more rusted nails than copper coins, financial strains were constantly at the back of my mind, and I'm sure she was worried about it too… 

Her condition had been worsening throughout the winter and her strained coughing only grew more audible across the house. My lifeless mood turned to frustration with our utter impotence.

With each passing second, the sun sank deep under the horizon, leaving us nothing but our dwindling supply of candles for luminance. 

Her room, now empty, contained but a dingy mattress on which she laid bedridden. Her face, barely lit up by the melting stub of wax, stared emotionless afar out the window.

"We can't go on like this. Let me participate in the labyr-" 

"NO!" My sister interrupted, turning to look at me, "We've had this conversation before Dymos, no matter what, you are to never enter that labyrinth!"

Desolate, I winced, feeling myself drawn to her stern glare before tracing my gaze down toward the black scar stemming from her neck. 

"Then what do you want me to do? Work from dawn to dusk, for scraps? Look at our current predicament. Our crops are dying, and your sickness is worsening every day. Who knows how much time you have left? We can't keep this up any longer! Something needs to change! Let me go! I can handle it! I'm capable enough. Just trust me! I'll make us money, I'll buy you the elixirs. I can help! Just let me." 

I argued back. 

She stared at me with a brief look of anger plastered on her face, before sighing and shaking her head, " Just… just go away, I don't want to talk about this anymore." With that, she flicked her wrist, gesturing for me to leave. I scoffed, slamming the door behind me…

~

The sun hung high in the air as midday approached, the market bustling with commoners and merchants advertising their goods. I, however, was stuck dead center, lost in the sea of people. As I squeezed myself through the crowd, I glanced at certain stalls and their wares. Some were unveiling precisely crafted magical rings, others were selling bracelets with embedded skills. Enchanted gear was abundant, and the myriad of different variations of weaponry glimmered a prismatic glow. The plethora of items was commonplace for most, thrifty trinkets almost, but I could only dream, for my coin bag only contained two copper coins, exactly enough to purchase some watermelon seeds, my excuse for even coming here in the first place. My trip to the market to avoid my sister would net me nothing but envy. 

Along the outskirts of the market, the crowd thinned, revealing the wide brick roads, lined by staggering blocks of housing. In the corner of my eye, frantically flailing shadows leaking from the alleyways took hold of my attention. Squinting my eyes, I peered into the darkness, revealing a man in tattered clothing, more shabby than my own. His body tense, foam gushing out from his mouth as he convulsed on the pavement. His arms twitched and twisted, tearing away from his shoulders. Kicking the air, head bashing against the wall, spasming on the floor. Abruptly, he froze, paralyzed in place, his expression contorting in agony. His eyes bulged from its sockets, blood pooling into his eyelids. I couldn't look away from the horrific sight, the image burning deep into my retinas. My eyes darted towards a jagged black scar running across his neck to his face. Recovering from the reeling shock, my mind started to race. A man just died before me. A man with the same curse as my sister. It's inevitable. At any point, my sister could suffer the same fate. Every breath she takes is a coinflip with her life at stake. Eyes widening, my heart rammed against my ribs as I stood rooted to the ground, too fazed to react. As I stared at the man lying dead on the ground with a new sense of urgency, the footsteps behind me shuffled on preoccupied with errands, accompanied by whispers of gossip. 

"Hey, look at that mark, isn't that the Labyrinth's Brand?"

"Yeah but didn't the guild recently find a cure for it around the 60th floor?"

"60? Pfft, only the elite of the elites can clear that."

"Obviously, only the top adventurer party even has a chance of surviving level 60 and above. I'm pretty sure they have only gotten to the 69th as of right now. If even…"

Their conversation piqued my interest, snapping me out of my delirium. A cure? A slight glimmer of hope sparked in my heart. If I could get the cure, life would return to normal. These months of suffering would finally come to an end. She could work again, our harvest would recover, and we could repair our home! I took one last look at the man, before rushing off to the guild hall, fueled by my newly found hope and desperation. 

~ 

Reality sucker punched me in the face. 

The cure was reserved for S-Ranking adventurers and high-ranking ones at that. According to the guild secretary, the cure was synthesized using materials from killing rare monsters that could only be found on the 65th floor and below, with each lower floor getting progressively harder. In a nutshell, even if I could afford the cure, I still wouldn't be able to purchase it.

"I knew it wouldn't be that easy…" 

I bit my lip as a stroke of ignorant genius hit me.

"Even though it's just a chance, even though it's so far away, for her, I have to do it."

I will become an S-rank adventurer, and earn my place on the ranking board. I will save her, I will rescue her. I will rid her of that curse for good. 

I've made up my mind.

I will become an S-rank. 

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Name: Dymos

Age: 17

Class: None

Rank: F

Level: 1

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Strength: 7

Agility: 6

Stamina: 10

Defence: 4

Wisdom: 5

Mana: 0

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Skills: N/A

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Affinities: ???

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