Raising My Trash Ability into a Broken SSS+ Rank Skill Chapter 5: Death Canopy

After navigating through a series of corridors and chambers, Vritra finally discovered a suitable location to rest for a few hours.

The hall he entered featured blood-spattered walls, yet it appeared strangely well-preserved compared to the previous areas. Vritra scanned the room carefully upon entering, performing a thorough sweep to ensure no hidden threats remained.

Once satisfied, he sheathed his blade and began to pace the room.

As he approached a corner, his foot suddenly triggered a nearly invisible stone set into the floor. His hand flew to his sword hilt by instinct.

A low, ominous rumble vibrated through the ground beneath him.

Without warning, the floor gave way to a yawning pit filled with absolute darkness, promising a lethal drop. Vritra’s eyes snapped wide as his senses screamed in alarm; he felt the solid earth vanish, leaving him plummeting into the trap. It happened so fast that his mind struggled to process the fall.

Adrenaline surged through him. Twisting his body mid-air, he managed a desperate grab at the edge of the chasm. His fingers clawed into the rim, and his muscles burned with strain as he hauled himself back up to safety.

He collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air. His heart thrashed against his ribs from the shock; the terror was a thousand times more intense than any horror game he had ever played. No duel in the arena could compare to the raw fear of this environment.

This was supposed to be the first floor—the easiest and most secure level—yet he had nearly perished in a heartbeat.

‘That was far too close,’ he thought, staring at the gaping hole. This trap had surely claimed many lives, which explained why this particular hall looked cleaner than the rest.

His wariness grew. The labyrinth was proving to be a treacherous place, riddled with lethal surprises.

While inspecting the pit, he noticed a small, tattered bag snagged on a sharp protrusion on the wall, just below the rim of the dark opening.

“An adventurer must have dropped this while falling,” Vritra whispered as he stood. The bag looked like it might slip at any moment.

Driven by curiosity and remaining on high alert, he carefully reached into the hole. Since it wasn't too far down, he managed to retrieve the bag without much trouble.

Upon opening it, he discovered a collection of glass vials filled with liquids that emitted a soft, mystical glow.

Vritra recognized the items immediately.

There were healing potions, mana potions, and vials designed to boost physical attributes. He noticed text inscribed at the bottom of the containers, and to his mild surprise, he could understand the writing perfectly.

“These are intermediate-rank healing and mana regeneration potions. They aren't as potent as the ones Diana gave us.

I already have a hundred of each, though only ten from each set are truly mine. Regardless, there are over thirty healing potions here and twenty-five for mana. Additionally, there are ten basic-rank potions for both agility and strength.”

He checked the specifications for the enhancement potions; they could boost his speed and power by more than twenty percent for a duration of twenty minutes.

He quickly transferred the bottles into his inventory, mentally weighing their value.

‘They might come in handy, even if I can get superior ones from the goddess or the king,’ he mused, feeling a sense of accomplishment for finding loot in such a miserable place.

BUZZZZZZ!!

As he turned to leave, a violent bolt of electricity slammed into his back, racing through his entire frame. His muscles locked up instantly, and his sight began to fail.

Agony flared through his limbs as he collapsed to his knees, his nerves crackling with the current. His breathing became ragged and his vision frayed at the edges, but he forced himself to remain conscious.

Despite his efforts, his body was paralyzed.

Through the haze, he heard a familiar voice accompanied by the sound of numerous footsteps. The voice was low, nearly drowned out by the ringing in his ears.

“Whoa! It actually connected. Don’t tell me he’s dead already? I only meant to paralyze him. G-go on, finish it.” Max’s voice, a mix of shock, triumph, and lingering fear, reached his ears.

“It’s fine. I needed you involved in this. You’ll get used to it; this isn't your old world anymore.

This is the only way I can trust you. Don’t worry, he’s still breathing. For a deadweight, his body is remarkably tough. Now, stay back while I handle the rest,” a deep, heavy voice replied amidst the whispers.

Gathering every ounce of remaining will, Vritra threw his body forward. He plunged into the endless dark of the pit, choosing the unknown over the certainty of execution.

Perhaps, within that darkness, there was a slim chance to survive.

The commander lunged forward, his movement a blur as he reached the edge where Vritra had been just a second ago. He was too slow. He could only watch as Vritra vanished into the abyss, swallowed by the shadows.

“Fuck!!” the commander spat, enraged by the failure.

Vritra heard the commander’s furious roar fade as he fell. It was clear that his simple death wasn't their only goal; the commander evidently needed his corpse for some reason.

Having escaped one execution, Vritra was now facing another. As he plummeted, his motor functions began to return.

He tried to slow his descent by clawing at the walls, but he only succeeded in mangling his hands. Within seconds, his fingernails were torn away and deep gashes opened across his palms.

However, he managed to shift his weight, ensuring he wouldn't land head-first.

Eventually, he hit the bottom with a sickening crash. Pain exploded through him, and his vision swam. He tasted copper in his mouth and realized he could no longer feel his legs.

Since his lower body had taken the brunt of the impact, he knew his legs were shattered.

He tried to rise, but his limbs were leaden and broken.

He lay there, struggling to clear his head. His body felt hollow and numb from the lingering electricity. After a few ragged breaths, he looked down. As feared, his legs were a gruesome sight; from his thighs down, the bones were pulverized and protruding through the skin in a bloody mess.

He was covered in injuries, but he had survived the fall. If the shaft hadn't been slightly angled, he would have been nothing more than a red smear on the floor.

Once he regained control of his right hand, Vritra retrieved an intermediate potion and downed more than half of it.

The agony was instantly replaced by a wave of warmth. He listened to the sound of his bones knitting back together, and within minutes, the horrific wounds had vanished.

The sensation was painful yet miraculous.

“This is pure magic. Back on Earth, I would have been crippled for life. Here, I’m healed in minutes.”

Vritra sat up, inspecting himself. His clothes were shredded and soaked in blood, but his skin was flawless once more. Even the minor scars from his arena battles had been erased.

“Fuck!!” he spat, his jaw tight with rage. “Those bastards were all in on it. But why kill me?

Even a trash ability doesn't explain this. Maybe there’s a reward for killing those summoned from another world.”

He frowned. It would explain the commander’s fury at losing the body.

“They targeted me because I’m perceived as weak. Is my mother safe? She said her ability was just cooking, right?” Anxiety gripped him, but he calmed himself by remembering that those with the least "useful" abilities were placed in groups three and four.

‘There’s a good chance she’s safe. Her ability might be more than she let on,’ he hoped.

Standing up without pain, Vritra surveyed his surroundings. The light here was even dimmer than on the first floor, requiring a moment for his eyes to adjust.

He looked up at the massive wall he had fallen from. To his left and right, other walls stood just a few meters away, creating a sense of being in a vast, claustrophobic corridor.

“So this fall has claimed many lives? This trap was still better than dying at their hands...” Vritra muttered, stretching his limbs.

Suddenly, a faint sound echoed from the gloom behind him.

He spun around and froze, his heart racing. Before him, the space seemed to stretch into infinity, but that wasn't what terrified him.

In the shadows, thousands of glowing eyes stared back at him. It was a massive, endless sea of goblins. Standing just over a meter tall and wielding bone knives or heavy wooden clubs, the monsters growled as they fixed their gaze on him.

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[You have entered the Death Canopy.]

[A sealed extermination zone designed for absolute annihilation. A space present below the tenth floor of the labyrinth. Once inside, there is no exit, and an endless horde of demons will spawn, increasing in strength over time.

The attack will begin with demons from the 1st floor of the labyrinth, escalating in strength with each passing interval.

If the current wave fails to eliminate the intruder, demons from the next floor will be summoned after a certain period of time— progressing relentlessly up to the 10th floor.

There is no limit to their numbers, the onslaught will only stop with the death of the intruder.]

[Survival chance: None]

[Difficulty level: Impossible]

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