Daniel stood at the entrance of the underground labyrinth.
Not just the students nearby—even the instructors guarding the entrance stared at him in disbelief.
"Your Highness Daniel, are you saying… you're entering the underground labyrinth?" one of the teachers asked cautiously.
"That's right," Daniel replied with a calm nod. He reached for the pen on the registration table, ready to sign his name.
But before he could, the teacher couldn't help but speak again.
"If you're entering the labyrinth… then where are your teammates?"
"I don't have any teammates," Daniel replied, shaking his head nonchalantly.
What a joke. With his current strength, did he still need companions? Any so-called elite teammate would only drag him down. No one could keep up with him anymore.
But the teacher standing before him had no idea what Daniel was thinking. He frowned, starting to suspect that something had happened to the young prince—that perhaps he had been mentally shaken, emotionally disturbed, or had made a reckless decision in a moment of despair, choosing to venture into the labyrinth alone.
"Your Highness Daniel, I urge you to reconsider. Please, stay calm."
"Yes, yes! No matter what talent you've awakened, it's valuable. You still have so much to contribute to humanity."
"Life is beautiful, Your Highness. Don't give up on it so easily!"
Just then, from among the crowd of students, a timid-looking girl hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. She bit her lip, her fingers trembling slightly as she approached.
"Your Highness Daniel… I've awakened an A-rank Holy Light Technique. If you don't mind, I—I'd be willing to join your party," she offered bravely. "You can count on me. I'll protect you."
Daniel paused, momentarily surprised by her sincerity. A faint smile touched his lips as he looked at her, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thank you," he said softly, "but I don't intend to form a team."
"This is just the beginner-level underground labyrinth. I can handle it on my own."
With that, he bent over and signed his name on the entry form, selecting the lowest entry tier.
His calm and decisive gesture left both students and teachers completely stunned.
"Your Highness… please, think this through one more time!"
"Tch. I bet he just couldn't bring himself to ask for help. After all, he's the proud and noble Uncrowned Prince. Why would someone like him stoop to teaming up with the likes of us?"
But Daniel didn't care about the whispering around him. His thinking was simple: the beginner-level underground labyrinth was far too easy. There was no need to team up at all. On the contrary, joining a team would only dilute his experience gains.
He had already spent all his savings—all of his gold coins. That meant he couldn't buy assistance or hire guards. He had no one to rely on now but himself.
So Daniel had no choice but to seize every opportunity to grow stronger. Every battle, every experience point—it all counted.
The teacher at the entrance looked at Daniel, sensing the firmness in his eyes. He could tell the young prince had made up his mind.
In the end, the teacher just sighed.
After all, everyone had the right to make their own decisions. And Daniel was already an adult. As a mere instructor, he had no authority to stop him.
"Well then… Your Highness Daniel, please be very careful. Even if you fail to clear the labyrinth, once the allotted time ends, the system will automatically teleport you out. You'll enter a weakened state, yes—but that's better than losing your life."
Daniel nodded, gave a final word of thanks, and stepped forward into the teleportation gate without a backward glance.
But just as he disappeared through the shimmering portal—
Something happened.
The teleportation gate suddenly trembled violently. Its previously bronze-colored surface twisted and rippled, and in the next second, a vivid, terrifying crimson hue surged across it like flowing blood!
Gasps filled the air.
Students and teachers alike froze in place, their expressions filled with disbelief.
No one had expected this.
Daniel's luck… was that terrible?
He had triggered the one-in-ten-thousand anomaly: the rare and dangerous mutated underground labyrinth!
Such misfortune was almost comical—almost tragic.
"Everyone, please remain calm!"
"The underground labyrinth is now temporarily closed. All students are to return to their dormitories in an orderly fashion."
"High-level professors from the academy will soon arrive to guard the entrance."
Following the teacher's instructions, the students quickly began dispersing. But beneath their surface compliance, every one of them was secretly relieved.
Thank goodness I didn't go in earlier. If I had entered the labyrinth today, my life would probably be forfeit.
The Uncrowned Prince… was truly cursed. Born under ill fate, awakened with a useless, trash-tier talent, and now struck by an incredibly rare labyrinth mutation.
There probably wasn't a second person in all of humanity this unlucky.
But Daniel knew nothing of the panic erupting outside.
The moment he stepped into the gate, a brilliant light had blinded him. The next thing he knew, he had arrived inside the labyrinth.
Before him stretched a dark and endless cavern. The air was cold and damp, and the faint whistling of wind echoed ominously through the stone halls.
Daniel's hand instinctively tightened around the staff in his grasp.
He had read countless books on theory. He had watched dozens of training videos.
But knowing something in theory was entirely different from living it.
The cave ahead seemed to swallow light itself, and the shadows clung to the stone like oil. A chill crept up his spine.
Just then—he felt it.
A powerful, suffocating killing intent burst toward him.
Instinctively, Daniel stepped back—
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three short arrows embedded themselves in the spot he had just stood!
What the hell?
Something was wrong.
This wasn't what he had been told.
Wasn't this supposed to be the beginner's underground labyrinth?
Why was the difficulty already ramping up so high?
Frowning, Daniel looked ahead, deeper into the tunnel.
And then he saw them.
Red eyes—glowing, malevolent, bloodthirsty—staring at him from the darkness.
He was surrounded.
[Steam Golem - Type I]
Level: 5
HP: 5000
Skill: Spear Thrust
Description: A cave-dwelling race. Legends suggest they once shared a dark history with the elves.
What?! 5000 HP?!
Daniel's jaw nearly dropped.
This had to be a joke.
Under normal circumstances, monsters in beginner-level dungeons had somewhere between 300 to 500 HP.
But this Steam Golem had ten times that amount?!
Then again…
So what if you have 5000 HP?
A cold smile curled on Daniel's lips.
In the next instant, the tip of his staff flared with blinding arcs of lightning.
[God-Rank Thunder Skill – Raging Thunderstorm!]
Suddenly, the air itself split with a thunderous roar.
Even within the confined space of the cave, the spell's terrifying force erupted, crackling and howling.
"BOOM!!"
A storm of heavenly lightning crashed downward, splitting the shadows and illuminating the entire passage.
—10,520!
—10,520!
—21,040!
—10,520!
[You have slain Steam Golem Type I (Level 5)]
[Exp gained: 2000]
[You have slain Steam Golem Type II (Level 5)]
[Exp gained: 2000]
[You have slain Steam Golem Type III (Level 5)]
[Exp gained: 2000]
[Congratulations! Level Up. Current Level: 2]
[Congratulations! Level Up. Current Level: 3]