Conquering the Labyrinth with a Trash-Tier Trait - Chapter 26

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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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Episode 26
“I knew that war with the Greenskins was imminent. But I only knew it in my head, you understand.”
The old warrior Bartus began speaking without preamble.
“As a boy, I couldn’t bear that suffocation. It was my daily habit to roam all around the castle, playing.”
“As those stifling days dragged on, I thought something absurd—if things stayed quiet like this, couldn’t I slip out for a bit and come back?”
“So I persuaded my escort Char and my siblings to sneak out beyond the castle walls……. And I created the deepest regret of my life.”
As he spoke, the old Bartus’s face twisted with terrible anguish.
‘His escort’s name was actually Char?’
Separate from my shock, Bartus continued.
“We were discovered by a Greenskin raiding party, I lost my siblings, and by Char’s sacrifice I barely crawled back alive. I thought even that was catastrophe, but it was only the beginning.”
“My father, who was a border count defending the frontier, abandoned our house and castle to save my two siblings held hostage.”
“But even then, the orc warlord Grash didn’t keep his word. After occupying the castle, he sent only my siblings’ bones to our family—along with words that their flesh was tender and delicious.”
“In rage, my father later crushed a thousand elite Greenskins, but the castle we’d lost couldn’t be reclaimed. All he managed was to barely get me to escape before meeting a terrible death.”
“And so our house lost everything—the capital, our traditions, our honor, our bloodline—all while branded as traitors to humanity.”
“All of it happened because of one foolish boy—me.”
His words, wrung out so bitterly, carried a sorrow too deep for comfort.
I couldn’t find words to offer.
“That regret never left me, even after I grew stronger and drove back the Greenskins and restored my family’s territory.”
“I wished a thousand times that I’d died then instead. Maybe my father and siblings would still be alive. I could never shake that thought my whole life.”
“I’ve asked myself countless times—what if I’d done this, what if I’d done that. But deep down, I knew it was meaningless.”
“The only real possibility was never leaving the castle in the first place. That’s what I believed. But…….”
His eyes, which had been fixed on the distant past, now met mine directly for the first time.
“There was another way. To achieve this result with abilities not so different from that Char of long ago. I thought if we just fled somehow, encirclement was inevitable. Yet I never considered this.”
“Defeat the orc Grash. Yes. That idea never occurred to me. If it had, the raiding party would have scattered in disarray. It was a method I myself never imagined—because I couldn’t even conceive it was possible.”
Hm?
As I listened, something felt odd.
I had simply found a way to complete a Perfect Clear.
‘A Perfect Clear……—Ascendants don’t know about that?’
Even a transcendent being capable of interfering with the Labyrinth’s quests doesn’t know the information my trait provides?
As that realization stirred something strange in me,
the old Bartus stepped closer.
“I’m grateful to you—for showing me my foolishness, for breaking the long chains that bound me.”
Thud.
Hummmmm.
The moment his hand rested on my shoulder, a warmth both cold and sharp yet tender flowed into my body.
“Rather than material reward, I’d prefer to give you the foundation to grow even stronger—you who possess abilities much like my younger self.”
Hummmmmm.
Without thinking, I followed the flow of his magic, circulating my own through my body.
[Iron Ox Cultivation Method (Advanced) converts to Valgar Spirit Cultivation Method Stage 1 (Advanced).]
[Magic Power rises significantly.]
“Agh!?”
A cry escaped me—a reward I hadn’t anticipated at all.
The old Bartus offered a faint smile.
“If you complete the Path of the First as you have been, your achievements will show you the next path. The way refined by great Valgar’s ancestors, perfected by me.”
The Path of the First?
Did he mean the Novice Sector?
“Ah. Y-yes. Th-thank you.”
As I awkwardly offered my gratitude while feeling the complex magical currents of this cultivation method—not the Iron Ox Method I’d evolved, but one encompassing multiple affinities—
he tapped my shoulder once more and vanished.
“Whenever it comes to pass, I look forward to seeing you ‘above.'”
Whoosh.
Hummm.
Where the old Bartus had stood, a blue portal blossomed into being.
For a long moment, I could only stare blankly at where he’d gone, at that portal.
The situation was too sudden to accept.
“So……right now, an Avatar of Ascendant taught me a cultivation method and left……?”
Even as I spoke it aloud, I could barely believe it.
Yet the portal before my eyes was undeniably real.
The magical power moving strangely within my body—I felt its strength clearly.
And yet.
[Name: Ko Cheol-woo]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 16]
[Stats]
Strength: 14(+1.7)
Endurance: 17(+3.4)
Agility: 10(+5)
Magic Power: 26
Physical Resistance: 3
Magic Resistance: 4
[Magic Power Skills]
Resonance Spear(Advanced-Lv.10), Valgar Spirit Cultivation Method Stage 1(Advanced-Lv.3), Volante Movement Method Stage 2(Advanced-Lv.10), Slaughter(Advanced-Lv.10), Piercing Strike(Supreme-Lv.1)
[Level-Up Points: 18]
[Ability Slot (Full)]
Multiple Spirit Subjugation.
[Traits]
-Additional Information Available.
The drastically transformed stats and skills in the status window brought reality flooding back.
‘My Magic Power rose by a full ten points.’
Whatever else might be true, he could feel it now—the intricate flow that multifaceted Magic Power channeled allowed him to move the spirits’ strength with far greater efficiency.
Even if it still didn’t quite feel real.
In any case.
‘I did it.’
One thing was certain: he had successfully achieved a Perfect Clear of the fifth floor.
The moment that thought crystallized, fatigue crashed over him all at once.
‘Time to head back.’
He reached out and placed his hand on the portal naturally.
“Return.”
Flash.
[You have cleared Labyrinth Floor 5 (Novice Sector). Agility increases by 1.]
The system’s voice rang out once more, and the familiar sight of the stone walls came into view.
“Oh, you’ve emerged already? Less than a day this time?”
“Yes. I was fortunate.”
After verifying his Labyrinth entry log with the guard at the Labyrinth stele—someone he seemed to cross paths with oddly often—he turned and made his way toward Jerik’s Martial Arts School.
There was much he wanted to check into, but for now, all he craved was a wash and rest.
‘Can I even bathe like this right now?’
At the sudden impulse, Magic Power flowed naturally and channeled toward the water spirits.
Splash.
Water cascaded over him as he walked, and in an instant, every corner of his body was rinsed clean.
And then.
Whoosh.
A gently manipulated fire spirit evaporated even the lingering moisture.
Even with the Self-Purifying Undergarment’s potent cleansing function, actually washing felt distinctly different.
“Phew…….”
In just three steps, he felt as though he’d had a complete bath.
‘This actually works?’
Previously, such refined spirit manipulation would have been unthinkable.
He’d learned much simply by watching Bartus use spirits on the fifth floor.
But there was another reason.
[Valgar Spirit Cultivation Method Stage 1(Advanced-Lv.3)]
-Corrects Strength, Endurance, and Agility by a fixed percentage ratio relative to Magic Power.(Varies by Lv. Current: 6.5% : 13% : 19.5%).
-Increases Synchronization Rate with spirits.
The cultivation method taught by Bartus’s Avatar.
It maintained stats comparable to the original Iron Ox Cultivation Method while adding supplementary effects on top.
Not to mention the explosive surge in Magic Power.
‘Handling spirits has definitely become easier.’
It was hard to believe this was an Advanced-tier skill like the others.
He was naturally elated, but new concerns had surfaced as well.
‘Multiple Spirit Subjugation. It’s certainly a good ability slot, but I’d planned to swap it out for something else once I hit orange-tier.’
This cultivation method was clearly built for spirits.
A skill that the Ascendant himself had promised could evolve.
‘He must have meant that condition applies when I get a class from an all Perfect Clear.’
Since that was naturally what I’d assumed, the condition appealed to me even more.
In that case.
‘Even if I swap for a higher-tier Ability stone, I’ll eventually have to go with the spirit route……, right?’
Yes. There’s no getting around it.
It’s a path the Ascendant himself laid out.
Besides, spirits are too useful across too many situations to just abandon them, regardless of combat power.
‘Especially for adapting to any environment.’
Not to mention the ability to take a quick shower whenever needed, like now.
‘Let me head in and get a closer look at this axe.’
Lost in these pleasant thoughts, I arrived at the Martial Arts School just as Jerik was startled by my sudden appearance while teaching the children.
“Char! You’re back already? Don’t tell me you gave up?”
“There’s no way. I finished early.”
“Really? Must’ve been easier this time. It’s only been about a day, hasn’t it?”
“There’s no way. Something absolutely bizarre happened…….”
As I spoke, my mind suddenly drifted to Kim Hyun-shik’s situation—what had happened just before the fifth-floor quest.
‘Now that I think about it, what’s going to happen to that bastard?’
I’d taken his sword and invisibility cloak, and even synthesized his shoes.
If there were allies or palace people keeping tabs on him, this could get very messy.
‘……Nothing seemed to happen.’
From the Labyrinth Stele guard’s attitude when I exited, there was no real change.
‘That bastard. He didn’t just force his way in on his own, did he?’
Perhaps he did.
While I was imagining the best-case scenario, Jerik continued questioning me.
“What? Did you get hurt somewhere?”
“No. It’s just—I had a brief but brutal time of it. I think I’ll need to start carrying Recovery Potions from now on…….”
“You? In the Novice Sector?”
“……Yes.”
“What kind of quest are you running solo anyway?”
“Well, there’s a lot to tell, but could I rest a bit first?”
“Ah. Yeah, of course. Get some rest. We’ll talk later.”
“Thank you.”
Despite having washed thoroughly and possessing the Self-Purifying Undergarment, a stubborn fatigue still clung to my very soul.
Before sleep, though.
‘I need to check this.’
I quietly pulled out the massive axe in my room.
[Storm Axe (Replica—Rare)]
-A counterfeit replicating the treasured weapon of Orc Lord Grash. Yet it possesses formidable power.
-Attack Power +30
-Activated Skill: Shockwave (Damage 20)
“Wow…….”
An overwhelmingly powerful weapon with a skill attached.
While it was fairly heavy, anyone who used an axe would surely covet such a weapon.
‘If it’s Rare-grade, it’ll be welcomed on the twenties floors and still useful in the thirties.’
An item that could fetch a high price.
The moment I confirmed that, I was able to drift into sleep with a genuinely satisfied heart.
‘Tomorrow I’ll dispose of the axe and Kim Hyun-shik’s sword too—well, his blade depending on the situation…….’
Even as I briefly pondered this, consciousness slipped away and sleep claimed me.
The next day.
I sought out the merchant Ruda and disposed of the axe.
“Wow. This is premium among Rare weapons.”
“……You can purchase it, then?”
“Of course.”
Ruda appraised the axe at 300 Gold.
I had no objections.
I knew well that my earlier finds—the Dominator Ability stone or the Special Training Ability stone—had been extraordinarily fortunate and unusual cases.
Rather, I found myself trusting Ruda more for immediately handing over cash without fuss.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Honestly, I’m getting the sense this is a real windfall. For someone still in the Novice Sector to be doing this……Ah, as promised, I’ll keep the seller’s identity confidential, so don’t worry.”
“Yes. Then.”
The moment the substantial sum of Gold appeared in my hands, my mind raced through a dozen possibilities at once.
‘With this money, I could buy so many cheap, consumable Artifacts…’
Since I’d profited nicely from the panties deal, I was casting about for a similar scheme.
I turned over in my mind what sorts of items might go into a goblin basket—especially cheap consumable Artifacts for the nobility.
‘…But it’s still not enough.’
To upgrade anything to at least Rare grade, I’d need to purchase four hundred units, and I simply didn’t have the funds.
There wasn’t another Artifact as cheap as Klinsman’s Panties out there.
‘I’ve heard there are exclusive products manufactured in the magic towers of other Labyrinth Cities.’
But I couldn’t go there right now.
I had no choice but to shelve that idea for the future.
‘I should pick up some Recovery Potions just in case, and maybe get in some training. I’ve got questions for Jerik too.’
When I returned to the Martial Arts School, a familiar face greeted me.
“Kirk!”
“Brother!”
Our Martial Arts School’s rising star, whom I hadn’t seen in months, grinned and waved at me, his right arm now bearing an unusual tattoo I’d never seen before.

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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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