Conquering the Labyrinth with a Trash-Tier Trait - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 16
“It seems many people were interested in that item. Among them, I’ve carefully selected the three parties offering the best terms.”
“Three? Even after careful selection, only three?”
“Yes. Recently, there’s been a surge in demand from the upper guilds and the Royal Palace for the ability to tame beasts. You’ve hit a fortuitous moment, really. There’s competitive bidding.”
Rufes, the bald man, spoke while smacking his lips, and it didn’t sound like a lie.
However.
“The Royal Palace is one of those interested in purchasing?”
“Yes. To be honest, I was surprised myself.”
A frown creased my brow at that answer.
“The Royal Palace…….”
I wanted to say I’d rather exclude them, but I closed my mouth when I caught Jerrik’s gesture.
“What about the other two?”
“Among the guilds, the Drake Guild in the 4th District offered the highest price. And the other is the Merchant Guild.”
“The Merchant Guild?”
“……Yes. My superiors are interested as well.”
“Why?”
“I’m just a low-ranking member—I wouldn’t know.”
Rufes wore an awkward expression when he said that, but what happened inside the guild wasn’t our concern.
“Let’s hear the terms.”
“Ahem. First, the Royal Palace offered a thousand Gold with no haggling.”
“A thousand Gold!?”
I flinched, and Jerrik’s buttocks lifted off his seat—the offer was that shocking.
‘At that price, couldn’t I buy not just an Orange Ability Stone, but a yellow or even a blue Ability Stone?’
It was bewildering.
‘I’ve heard popular Ability Stones trade for ten times their listed price, but this……?’
Even I, who disliked the Royal Palace, found myself biting my lip in deliberation.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
“However, I believe our Merchant Guild’s terms will prove more advantageous.”
“The Merchant Guild’s?”
“Yes. We’ve prepared a wallet-style Space Pouch with a three cubic-meter capacity, plus 500 Gold in cash.”
“Oh?”
A Space Pouch with a one cubic-meter capacity normally went for about 100 Gold.
Given that Space Pouches increase exponentially in price as volume grows, the Merchant Guild’s offer was superior to the Royal Palace’s.
‘A two cubic-meter one was 300 Gold, wasn’t it? A three cubic-meter would have ample capacity.’
Plus, the cash on top would be quite generous.
“What about the Drake Guild?”
“They offered just a single Space Pouch. They claim it has a ten cubic-meter capacity, but frankly, that’s overkill. An adventurer has no reason to need something so massive. You’re not running a caravan, after all.”
Rufes seemed to think the Merchant Guild’s proposal was the most reasonable.
In fact, I felt the same way.
Except my situation was a bit unusual.
‘The bigger it is, the better for me, really.’
I hadn’t acted on it yet for safety reasons, but once I got a Space Pouch, I’d planned to synthesize every scrap item I came across.
Beyond just combining items to remove penalties, there were definitely cases where lower-probability combinations resulted in genuine upgrades.
‘I need to do a ton of synthesis to figure out the rules.’
If things went the way I thought, I could be sitting on what amounted to a money printer.
And.
“The Drake Guild—that would be Gix’s guild, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Strange how I keep getting tangled up with that fellow lately.”
A person the seller had a prior connection with.
‘If it’s him, he might actually answer my questions about the inflation in the Special Taming Ability market.’
That thought crossed my mind.
But Jerrik seemed to have different thoughts.
“Char, hold on a moment.”
“Hmm? Oh. Yes.”
“This is probably just their initial offer. If you look into direct delivery to the Royal Palace, you might get much better terms. It’s just that the Royal Palace…….”
“Has the most money?”
“……That’s right.”
Jerrik’s whispered suggestion was rational.
But I didn’t want to do anything that favored the Royal Palace if I could help it.
And.
“A Space Pouch the size of ten cubic meters—does the Royal Palace even have one?”
“……If we look, we might find one, wouldn’t we? It’s the Royal Palace, after all.”
“So you’re saying it might not exist?”
“……Right. Something that size is essentially a small warehouse. The larger the volume, the harder it is to create and the more resources it consumes—or so I’ve heard. There’s no real reason to make one unless you have a specific need.”
“Then let’s go to the Drake Guild.”
“……You’ve made your decision?”
“Yes. I need the largest Space Pouch I can get.”
It didn’t feel right doing something that would benefit the Royal Palace.
I left that part unsaid, but judging from Jerrik’s smirk, he’d caught on.
“……Right. I’ll have a word with Gix and see if we can squeeze out a bit more from him.”
“……I’m always grateful, sir.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Jerrik laughed, a little embarrassed, but I couldn’t help feeling moved again.
“Even if we sold it elsewhere, the brokerage fee would be ten percent. If you go to the Drake Guild, that’s at least one hundred Gold…….”
“……Damn.”
If only Rufes hadn’t raised that point.
* * *
“Wow.”
The Drake Guild building in the 4th District was genuinely magnificent.
Atop the large, ornate five-story structure stood a striking statue of a dragon—or something resembling one—with its front legs missing.
“Is that statue made entirely of gold?”
Jerrik chuckled at my question.
“It looks like a statue most of the time, but it’s probably a guardian sentinel as well. It’s likely an Artifact.”
“Really?”
“Try sensing its mana carefully.”
“Even if you say that…….”
There’s no way I could sense the mana of a statue sitting atop a five-story building from here.
Just as I was laughing nervously—
“What brings you to our establishment?”
A man who appeared to be a Drake Guild member approached us.
Before long, we found ourselves face-to-face with Gix again.
“Was that seller your senior?”
“Precisely this fellow. You’ve met him before, haven’t you?”
“Ah, is that so?”
As I bowed politely from behind Jerrik, Gix rose from his seat with a laugh.
The impressive musculature remained impressive, but even more striking were the small writhing dragon tattoos that crawled across the corners of his eyes.
“You still look like a Novice—you obtained an Orange Ability Stone?”
“……I was fortunate.”
“Luck is a skill too. Jerrik must be teaching you well.”
“I’ve taught him haphazardly. But seeing how well he’s growing on his own, I wanted to help him further.”
“Ha. That meddling streak of yours hasn’t changed, I see.”
“People don’t change easily, do they?”
“True enough. So, are you accepting our offer?”
“Hmm. I’m considering it favorably. If you throw in a little more, I think we’ll have a deal.”
“A little more? A ten cubic meter Space Pouch isn’t an item with any standard market price.”
“Because there’s no real need to make one. There’s no demand. Isn’t that right?”
“……Demand varies depending on the person, doesn’t it?”
“You didn’t make it yourself, did you? You probably obtained it from the Dungeon. Am I right?”
“……Ha. So that’s why seeing you always gives me a headache. Fine. What else do you want?”
“The Merchant Guild demanded a fee. That’s one hundred Gold in commission, plus another fifty Gold on top. That’s barely a meal’s worth for you, isn’t it?”
“Who eats such luxuriously? The king himself wouldn’t.”
“The king might, though?”
“Ah. Well. Yes. If it’s him, then yes.”
The two of them shared some understanding and laughed together, which made it awkward for me to join in.
“Well, fine. Out of respect for your reputation, I’ll give you an additional one hundred fifty Gold. But only after I confirm that this Special Taming Ability Stone truly has no penalty.”
“I’ll vouch for it. Don’t worry and have it assessed.”
“Of course, naturally.”
The moment the Drake Guild’s mage finished appraising the Ability Stone, the deal went through smoothly.
In that pleasant atmosphere, I ventured to ask casually.
“By the way, might you tell me why you need this Ability Stone?”
“Hmm…. I don’t think you need to know about this, really.”
“But I’m curious too?”
Jerrik’s prompt nudged Gix into compliance, and he sighed before speaking.
“There’s information that a Thunder Dragon Egg will be put up for auction at the next Dungeon Auction.”
“What!?”
“The Dragon Race can’t be tamed through normal methods, so it requires an Ability in the end. If we could just force-tame one, it would make the finest mount imaginable.”
I couldn’t help but be startled by that revelation.
‘A Dungeon Auction. I’ve heard of it before.’
An auction held once a year in rotation across the ten Dungeon cities—the ten nations, in essence.
All manner of rare treasures are sold there, or so I’d heard, but until now I’d thought it had nothing to do with me.
Yet it seemed to be far more extraordinary than my imagination had conjured.
“A Thunder Dragon? You mean an actual dragon…?”
“No, not a true dragon. They call it a dragon, but it’s essentially an upper-tier Attribute Drake with elemental properties. Though it does possess a certain level of intellect, so they classify it as Dragon Race, but….”
Ah.
“A Thunder Dragon would be among the top Attribute Drakes for speed. If we could actually tame one as a mount, we could traverse the entire continent in a single day—which is why everyone’s in an uproar about it right now.”
“Ha. I could’ve sold it for a higher price if it were that valuable.”
“Come now. It’s only Orange-grade, after all. Premium rank at best. The price has risen because there’s an event coming up. Otherwise….”
“Never mind, never mind. Just thinking out loud. Either way, I appreciate the smooth trade.”
“…Well. I should be thanking you. It was nice meeting you again. And you too, Novice.”
A slight pang.
‘He doesn’t even remember my name?’
I felt a touch of disappointment, but it soon ceased to matter.
Not with the ornately patterned belt he’d handed over.
“Use it well. It’s an Artifact I obtained from the 50th floor range. I emptied what was stored inside it, but the Space Pouch alone makes it quite a fine Artifact. It has defensive capabilities too.”
“Thank you very much.”
It truly was a remarkable item.
[Kyle’s Belt (Supreme Grade)]
—Defense +20
—Belt-form Space Pouch. Capacity: 10 cubic meters. Can absorb most impacts, and repairs minor damage on its own.
A Supreme Grade Artifact.
The large-capacity Space Pouch doubled as a piece of armor.
‘It even has regeneration….’
Though it covered a smaller area as befitted a belt, the defense was more than adequate.
With an unexpected bonus effect added on top, I was more than satisfied with it.
And yet.
‘Check for additional information.’
A hum.
I invoked my Trait out of habit.
[If all Kyle series items are collected, hidden effects will be revealed.]
‘What!?’
The appended information startled me even more.
‘A Set Item? Something like that exists?’
“How is it? Pretty good, right?”
“Yes. Really, it’s wonderful.”
But I couldn’t let my excitement show.
“Thank you so much, Gix.”
I simply expressed my gratitude once more to temper my excitement.
“Your student has good manners, senior.”
“I’m not his teacher, I keep telling you….”
That was how the satisfactory trade came to an end.
* * *
A day later.
“It appears the rumored Ability Stone has been sold to the Drake Guild.”
In the deepest chamber of the Royal Palace, at the heart of the Dungeon city of Bartus, a man dressed as a Knight bowed his head.
Creak.
“The Drake Guild? Ah. Dragon Slayer—that man’s guild?”
A man whose face was obscured by shadow turned his chair.
The Knight, seeming afraid to glimpse that visage, bowed even more deeply before answering.
“Yes, sir.”
“Ha. Everyone around me seems to be praising that promising newcomer too much these days. The nerve of him, inserting himself into the Royal Palace’s dealings.”
“But we cannot touch him. As you say, he is a promising prospect drawing attention. We must maintain our competitive edge against other kingdoms, after all…….”
“I understand.”
“……My apologies. That was presumptuous of me.”
“Tsk. And yet it still bothers me.”
“It’s only an Orange Ability Stone, after all. We should discard it.”
“The grade of an Ability Stone is beside the point. It’s about who wields it. More precisely, it’s about Ability combinations. Are you still overlooking that potential?”
“……I’m terribly sorry.”
“Tsk. Find out where that Ability Stone came from. Confirm whether it was from an Elite or a Boss, then deploy full force to secure it. As for the Thunder Dragon, I’ll need to acquire that myself.”
“Sir, about that…….”
“What are you doing? Aren’t you leaving?”
“……The Ability Stone’s source is from the 2nd floor.”
“The 12th floor? Lower than expected. If that’s the case, it should be easier to——”
“The ‘2nd’ floor.”
“……What did you say?”
The man at the desk tilted his head in confusion.
The Knight continued.
“The Dungeon Archivist confirmed it. The item was brought back by a Novice who completed a 2nd floor quest.”
“……You’re not joking, are you?”
“How could I possibly dare…….”
“Ha…….”
For a moment, silence hung in the room.
Then.
“If it’s from the Novice tier, no one else can attempt it again anyway. And the person in question won’t receive the same quest twice.”
“……Yes.”
“Hmm. Beginner’s luck, then. I wasted my hopes for nothing.”
“……Sir. There is one unusual detail.”
“Mm?”
“That Novice brought back a Ruler’s Ability Stone on his first Dungeon entry as well.”
“……Is he naturally fortunate?”
“What makes it more peculiar is that he was classified as an Outcast.”
“An Outcast? He was a Summoner?”
“Yes. He had only a single Ability Slot, and his Trait was so useless he was discarded from the start.”
“A single Ability Slot? And a useless Trait to boot?”
“Precisely.”
“……Ha. How is such a thing even possible? A Summoner with both?”
“It was such an unusual case that we kept it on record.”
“Continue.”
“After being cast out, he lived as a beggar, worked at a general store, trained in Martial Arts at a dojo in the 9th District, and then entered the Dungeon.”
“Are you certain?”
“The information comes from the Merchant Guild’s investigation.”
“Hmm? The Merchant Guild, you say. Those vulgar merchants have smelled profit, it seems. What else?”
“……Beyond that, we have no information. The Merchant Guild’s conclusion was that since his speed clearing the 1st and 2nd floors isn’t particularly fast even among Summoners, it appears to be merely a beginner’s stroke of luck.”
Tap. Tap.
The man tapping his desk fell silent for a moment, then spoke.
“Once, twice could be coincidence. But if such a pattern repeats, report it to me. There may be some ability we’ve overlooked in him.”
“Yes. Understood.”
The conversation in the depths of the Royal Palace came to an end.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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