We didn't think too hard about it and just started exploring the dungeon.
That was our first mistake.
Because the first thing that greeted us?
A damn maze.
According to Hermes, this was how the dungeon was designed. As in, the entire architecture of this place just was a labyrinth.
"This corridor is called the 'Labyrinth' for a reason," he said matter-of-factly.
Apparently, this maze was some kind of secret passage that led to the final room—the very same room where I had been sleeping for 100,000 years.
And also, apparently, this was why Hermes had been reluctant to tell me anything earlier.
I sighed, rubbing my temples as I took in the nightmare in front of me.
The walls stretched endlessly in every direction, twisting and shifting in real time like some ancient, sentient prank designed to make people suffer.
It looked exactly like the maze from Greek mythology.
You know the one—the one that housed a Minotaur?
Yeah. That one.
Except… there was no Minotaur.
"Minotaur is actually a boss on the lower floors of this dungeon," Hermes explained, "but not the guardian of this labyrinth."
That was… weirdly specific.
And also a confusing explanation because why would they not put a Minotaur in the Minotaur Maze?
The real problem was that this maze was over 10 kilometers wide, and its layout changed every five minutes.
If you got lost?
You were lost forever.
Or until you died. Whichever came first.
Just looking at it was making me nauseous.
"Well, if that's the case," I said, turning around, "we can just go back and be stuck in that room forever."
Hermes whistled innocently, looking off into the distance.
I narrowed my eyes.
I was going to knock him out the first chance I got.
But wait—
Didn't I have that Skill Acquisition thing on my status?
I opened my menu and used [Appraisal] on it.
[Skill Acquisition]
Type: ActiveRank: Unique
Cooldown : 1 Month
Description:A divine-grade ability that allows the user to acquire any skill of their choosing in exchange for Skill Points (SP). The cost of acquisition scales with the skill's complexity, rarity, and power.
Simple skills require minimal SP.
Legendary/Forbidden skills cost an absurd amount.
Once activated, the user gains instant mastery over the chosen skill as if they had trained for years. Due to its overwhelming potential, this ability can only be used once per month.
Additional Effects:
The user can hold multiple skills as long as they have the SP to obtain them.
Both passive and active skills can be acquired.
Unique/Mythical-tier skills may have additional acquisition restrictions.
-
Huh.
So I could just buy skills with SP?
And they would automatically be at max mastery?
That… sounded way too good to be true.
I turned to Hermes. "Hey. Why does this Skill Acquisition thing sound so fishy?"
Hermes gave me a deadpan stare.
"That's because the SP needed for good skills is absurd. No one in their right mind would waste their precious SP on a single skill."
That made sense.
SP determined your entire profession and skill set in this world, so wasting thousands of points on one ability could ruin your whole build.
But…
"That doesn't apply to me."
I had 150,128 skill points.
I could afford to be an idiot.
"…How does this thing work?"
Hermes groaned, already regretting his life choices.
"You think of a skill you want, and the window should pop up with its details."
I narrowed my eyes. "...Anything?"
He looked increasingly annoyed.
"Do I look like I'm lying?! Just think of a damn skill!"
Hmmm… let's see…
-
[Shadow Extraction]
Type: Unique Skill
SP Cost: 10,000
Cooldown: None (Limited by Mana & Corpses Available)
A skill that grants the user dominion over death itself, allowing them to extract the shadow of a fallen enemy and transform it into a loyal undead soldier.
The extracted shadow retains the strength and abilities it had in life but is bound to the user's command.
The success rate depends on the target's strength, willpower, and time since death.
Decayed corpses cannot be extracted.
The extracted shadow becomes a permanent minion, serving without fear, pain, or hesitation.
SP Cost: 10,000
Due to its immense potential, this skill is classified as high-tier—allowing the user to create an ever-growing undead army.
"Those who fall before me shall rise to serve me." - Kim something something
-
…10,000 SP?
What the fuck.
"This is insane!" I gawked. "It's asking for 10,000 SP for a single skill?!"
Hermes smirked.
"Told you. It's garbage. The cost is ridiculous—even for you, who has an absurd amount of skill points."
I groaned, rubbing my face in frustration.
This shit was useless.
And the worst part?
This was literally just a parody of S**lo Leveling.
Ugh. That wasn't original at all.
Okay.
I exhaled, standing up with newfound determination.
"Hermes. I think I know what I'm going to do today."
---
I thought of every single skill that might be useful right now, and for some reason, all of them demanded absurd amounts of Skill Points.
The Skill Acquisition system is pretty straightforward: the stronger the skill, the more SP it costs. Thankfully, the prices aren't completely unreasonable—unless I'm aiming for outright cheat-tier abilities.
At the lowest tier, Common Skills are dirt cheap, ranging from 10 to 100 SP. Stuff like [Enhanced Agility] or [Fireball] barely make a dent in my reserves.
Rare Skills step things up, costing around 500 to 2,000 SP—abilities like [Mana Manipulation] or [Sword Aura]. Definitely worth the investment, but according to Hermes, I can't even grab them yet since I don't have the appropriate job.
Then there are Unique Skills, the real powerhouses. Something like [Shadow Extraction] or [Spatial Blink] demands anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 SP, meaning I actually have to grind before picking one up.
Even worse are Unique Attributes, permanent enhancements like [Dragon's Physique] or [Temporal Rewind], which start at 30,000 SP and only go up from there.
At the very top, there are Mythical and Divine Skills—abilities that outright break the rules of reality. Stuff like [Godslayer's Authority] or [Absolute Invincibility] costs 100,000 to 250,000 SP, putting them so far out of reach that even fantasizing about them feels like a waste of time.
Unless I find some absurd way to stockpile SP, these skills are locked behind a paywall only fate itself could afford.
Me and Hermes were still sitting in the middle of the maze, since the damn thing kept shifting every few minutes. But eventually, we wandered into an area where the terrain stopped changing.
Hermes, being completely useless in this situation, decided to take a nap while I was still figuring out my next move.
And I finally came to a conclusion.
I need a limiter.
Since I left that coffin, I've been holding back. And I mean seriously holding back.
When I first stepped out, I accidentally crushed the thing, and according to Hermes, it was supposed to be indestructible.
So now, every step I take is awkward as hell, and Hermes keeps giving me looks like, "What the fuck is this guy doing?"
The last time I misstepped, I accidentally created a hole leading straight into a bottomless abyss.
No shit, Sherlock.
-
[Limiter]
Type: Unique Skill
SP Cost: 7,500
Cooldown: None (Passive Ability)
A skill designed to restrict and regulate the user's own strength, allowing them to impose artificial limits on their abilities. By activating this skill, the user can cap their physical power, magic output, or speed at a controlled level, preventing excessive energy consumption or unnecessary destruction.
However, the true power of [Limiter] lies in its release mechanism. The longer the user operates under restricted power, the greater the stored potential becomes. When the limit is lifted, the accumulated strength bursts forth, temporarily boosting all stats beyond their normal limits, with the stored energy determining the intensity of the surge.
This skill is highly valued by those who wish to control overwhelming power or conceal their true strength until the perfect moment. But be warned—releasing the limit too suddenly can place immense strain on the body, and reckless usage may lead to severe backlash.
"A caged beast is still a beast. The moment you let it loose… run."
-
7,500 SP is a huge price—even for me, and I have over 150,000+ SP sitting in my reserves.
But right now… I don't have a choice.
[Skill Acquisition System]
Do you want to purchase [Limiter] for 7,500 SP?
[Yes] / [No]
<[Limiter] has been purchased!>
Do you want to use the skill [Limiter]?
[Yes] / [No]
Set limit percentage:
[99%]
<[Limit is set to 99%!]>
[Warning: Power output drastically reduced. Stored energy accumulation in progress…]
---
Status
Name: John Micheal
Level: 50,043
Age: 100,026
Job: None
{Stats}
[Limiter Activated – 99% Power Sealed]
HP: 54,547 / 54,547
Mana: 15,437,893 / 15,437,893
Atk: 23,520
Magic: 103,457
Dex: 14,512
Agi: 13,511
Vit: 18,515
Luk: 34,029
{Skills}
(Skill List) {Skill Points}: 142,628 SP
[Night Vision] Lvl. 10 (Max) (Active)
[Self-Suffice] Lvl. 10 (Max) (Active)
[Appraisal] Lvl. 10 (Max)
[Adventurer Skills] (See)
[Survival Skills] (See)
[Battle Skills] (See)
[Miscellaneous Skills] (See)
[Hero Skill Tree] (See)
[Novice Skill Tree] (See)
[Everyday Magic Skill Tree] (See)
{Unique Skills}
[Immortality]
[Experience Gain]
[Deep Slumber]
[Limitless Growth]
[Concealment]
[Skill Acquisition]
[Limiter]
{Unique Attributes}
[Hero]
[God Pantheon's Will]
---
Alright. This should be more manageable now.
I walked up to one of the labyrinth walls and glanced at my skill list.
-
[Unarmed Mastery] (MAX Level)
A skill that pushes hand-to-hand combat to its absolute peak. At max level, my fists become as deadly as any legendary weapon.
Every strike ignores a portion of enemy defenses, maximizes damage output, and enhances striking speed. At this point, weapons are just an option—not a necessity.
-
I glanced at another one.
-
[Attack Up] (MAX Level)
A simple, supposedly useless skill.
At Level 1, it gave a measly 1% boost to attack power—so naturally, most people ignored it.
At max level? It gives a 10% permanent increase… and multiplies with other buffs instead of stacking additively.
And the kicker?
Every 10th attack lands with double damage and CANNOT be blocked or evaded.
This… is the kind of skill nobody bothered to level up.
But what happens when you max out all the "useless" passive skills, combine their hidden perks, and stack them with insane stats?
The answer is—
I clenched my fist. An invisible aura radiated around it, creating the illusion that my hand had darkened.
Then, I threw a punch at the wall.
BOOM.
The labyrinth shattered.
The air compressed. The force of the impact rippled through the entire structure.
In the distance, a giant bull—the supposed "boss" of this labyrinth—stared down at its stomach.
A hole. A massive, gaping hole right through him.
He didn't even have time to react.
And I wasn't even trying.
The tremors jolted Hermes awake.
"W-WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO THIS TIME?!?"
I cracked my knuckles.
This punk…