Conquering the Labyrinth with a Trash-Tier Trait - Chapter 33

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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 33
“He’s coming to the auction house today? Finally?”
“Yes. He’s requested reserved seating because he wants to participate in the armor auction.”
“Hmm. Fine, set it up for him. And let’s run a test.”
“A test?”
“Can we put that defective item in the instant goods? Right now?”
“That item, sir?”
“Yeah. The useless thing. That one.”
“Ah…….”
“Before he takes his reserved seat, try to lure him into buying it. Don’t use a Penalty Option.”
“But what if he actually purchases it?”
“Then the man has no eye for goods—neither in judgment nor in ability. That means we test him a different way.”
“No, sir. What I meant was—if we hide the penalty and problems arise later, what then?”
“That’s exactly why you mark down the price.”
“……Sir?”
“Sell it cheaper than the original price. Call it a special discount. Then if he raises an issue? We just say it was a defective piece, so we sold it cheap.”
“Ah!”
“Tsk. No sense for angles, you. Do I have to spell out everything?”
“……My apologies.”
“Do better. Much better.”
“Yes, sir!”
* * *
[……Do better. Much better.]
The moment I heard Hailon’s final words, a bitter smile twisted my mouth.
“What?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
“Flat, aren’t you. I already told you what to watch for at the auction?”
“This is the third time. You don’t need to say it again.”
“Then listen just once more. When you’re bidding…….”
I let Jerik’s nagging flow in one ear and out the other, my mind circling back to what Hailon had said.
‘He wants to con me with defective goods and test my ability? Hell. Do I really have to take this?’
It was impossible not to feel conflicted.
And in that moment.
“Ah. Welcome, Jerik. Char.”
The sight of Jinu somehow cleared my mind, organized it with strange calm.
‘Fine. Why not let myself be fooled once. I’ll take the loss.’
It was definitely my strength—how quickly I reach a decision once confronted with reality.
“This way, please. I’ll show you to your reserved seating.”
“Thank you.”
“Not at all.”
Following Jinu naturally, my footsteps carried me up to the second floor.
Instead of the crowded main auction floor below, a second-floor balcony screened off by curtains.
The Mid-tier Auction House had ten reserved-seating balconies in total.
And we.
“This is the innermost seat.”
“……Are you tucking me away in a corner because I threw my weight around a little?”
“Not at all, sir. It’s actually the first seat if you view it from the other direction.”
“Then why not center? Why a side seat?”
“……I apologize.”
As Jinu led me toward the innermost spot, enduring Jerik’s senseless criticism, I caught it.
-Why are you so late?
-Ah. Sorry. I had something to take care of.
A familiar voice drifted through the air.
Not the common tongue of this place.
‘Korean?’
I turned my head instinctively, and a familiar face came into view.
‘Cha Hyeryeon!’
That unscathed face of hers, and beside her—a tall, handsome man.
‘Ah. That bastard. Is that……Lee Jinseong?’
The same one as Cha Hyeryeon—four Ability Slots, and somehow carrying an A-rank Trait.
So I remember the name.
We’ve never really spoken, though.
‘Irritating.’
I faltered without meaning to, and in that moment, I caught sight of them entering a room.
Second from the end. It looked like it was right next to ours.
“Why? Do you know them?”
“Ah, well….”
“They’re Summoned Individuals from the Royal Palace. Among them, actually—ah, that’s right. You’re a Summoned Individual too, aren’t you?”
“Just show us to our room.”
“…Ah. Yes.”
Only when Jerik’s eyes flicked toward me did I realize my voice had come out cold.
“I’m sorry. An unpleasant memory came to mind….”
“No, no, it’s fine. Really. These things happen. Ah—would you feel better if you browsed? Did some shopping?”
“…Sorry?”
“Some new items just arrived in the instant-purchase section. Would you like to take a look before the auction starts?”
He’s threading it together like this?
A hollow laugh nearly escaped me.
“Yes. Sure. Let’s take a look.”
I followed Jinu down the stairs on the opposite side.
And then.
“Here, come see this. It’s an item I’d like to recommend.”
“Recommend…?”
I turned toward where something worth seeing had arrived—a necklace.
A splendid piece: a long, thin golden chain descended from its center, where a golden pendant was set into what appeared to be a deep blue crystal carefully carved and polished.
When my eyes widened slightly at its mysterious beauty,
I caught the options listed below.
[Deep Sea Harmonizer (Rare)]
-Pressure Reduction -30
-Water Affinity +30
-Stream Runner (Rare)
-Autonomous Breathing (Highest Grade)
-Sleepless Water Membrane (Highest Grade)
* Fatigue Increase +1 when in water

“Hm…?”
The options fell somewhat short of such a grand name, but they were still excellent.
“At first glance it seems designed for underwater combat, but the options prove remarkably effective on land as well. Let me explain….”
Pressure Reduction applied not just to underwater pressure, but to absorbing impact damage too.
And Water Affinity was always a blessing if you worked with elementals.
Autonomous Breathing seemed like just a diving option, but the ability to secure clean air in any situation gave it broad, practical utility.
And the remaining options were even better.

-Controls currents and air currents surrounding the user to correct movement.
(Currents 30, Air 10)
Underwater, certainly—but on land, it granted a movement correction of 10, which meant a 10-point increase in agility.
The only one that seemed remotely questionable was the last one.

-Upon equipping, a clear, viscous water membrane constantly circulates across the eye surface.
-Eye Defense from Corneal Coating +9
Essentially an option that kept your eyes open during combat?
But there was nothing about it that seemed harmful.
“Nothing wasted here.”
“Right. It’s incredible. This? Wait—looking again, this is top-tier. It’s Rare? Not Super Rare?”
Jerik’s amazement seemed perfectly justified.
Against that, the penalty seemed almost trivial.
‘If it’s just this small a penalty, I should probably just accept it…. Wait, hold on.’
Hailon definitely called this a white elephant.
He said not to use penalty options.
So why are there penalty options listed?
And it’s not even a serious one.
That meant.
‘There’s an even worse penalty?’
If so, this price made sense.
“An item like this appearing for a mere 50 gold is nearly miraculous. That’s why I’m recommending it so enthusiastically. What do you say?”
“Fine. I’ll take it.”
Whether Hailon was testing me or sizing me up, there was no reason to hesitate.
“Ah. You certainly don’t waste time, do you? Then here…….”
The Deep Sea Harmonizer I received in hand indeed carried a serious penalty.
* 1% probability of Mana Runaway when using Mana.
A damp, shadowy Penalty Option that didn’t show up in the normal system information window.
This trap option — detectable only through my Traits or emotion-sensing skills — revealed that this item had never been intended for legitimate use in the first place.
‘What bastards made this to kill someone?’
Some might think 1% was trivial, but the consequence was Mana Runaway.
Under normal circumstances it wouldn’t matter, but if Mana Runaway triggered during combat, you might as well be dead.
This was almost certainly an item designed for assassination.
It was a far worse penalty than expected, but I smiled.
“Quite satisfactory.”
“Satisfactory? Of course. It’s a good item, after all.”
Jinu’s expression wavered slightly. He definitely seemed to lack the temperament for a ruthless merchant.
“Ah. Since I’ve bought this, could you recommend a few more necklaces?”
“……Pardon?”
“I saw a beautiful necklace, and now I’m suddenly wanting to buy more. Pretty ones.”
“……Pretty, necklaces?”
“Yes. As long as they’re beautiful.”
“This is, a place that sells, artifacts, though……?”
“Yes. Why would that be a problem?”
“Ah, no. It’s not that…….”
“The abilities can be mediocre. Just pretty ones.”
Jinu looked confused, and Jerik stared at me in bewilderment, but I remained composed.
No matter how severe the penalty, I could simply remove it through Synthesis.
So I purchased one more highest-tier artifact necklace, relatively cheaper in price.
[Maestro Atelier Apprentice Crafting Necklace (Highest-tier)]
-Vital Point Defense Once per Day (Highest-tier)
* Mana Recovery Speed -10
<Vital Point Defense (Highest-tier)>
-Defends against attacks capable of causing fatal wounds once (Defense Power 50).
A clean single option, not bad at all, but the penalty was poor.
‘Maestro again.’
I couldn’t use this as-is either, but that was fine.
I’d be using it for Synthesis anyway.
‘Please. Just make the Mana Runaway disappear.’
While I was praying thus.
“Do you really have a hobby of collecting shiny things?”
“……Who doesn’t like pretty things?”
At my words, Jerik’s expression stiffened slightly, but then he nodded.
“Right. Well, it’s a matter of taste. Still, you made a good purchase with that necklace. At that price, those options shouldn’t even be possible.”
“Yes. I thought so too.”
Though our reasons differed, we’d completed a satisfactory shopping trip.
Soon the two necklaces underwent Synthesis inside my waist-space pouch.
[Deep Sea Harmonizer (Rare)]
-Pressure Reduction 30
-Water Affinity 30
-Stream Runner (Rare)
-Autonomous Breathing (Highest-tier)
-Sleepless Water Membrane (Highest-tier)
* Fatigue Increase +1 when in water
* 1% probability of Mana Recovery Speed Decrease when using Mana
“Huh?”
Did penalties ever merge vaguely like this through Synthesis?
‘Wait, is this actually optimal? Five options with two minor penalties…….’
The Sleepless Water Membrane seemed like a fair trade, but losing a penalty option felt like it might have been better. Still, this wasn’t bad at all.
But that thought changed quickly enough.
The moment I fastened the necklace around my neck.
‘What?’
Clear, transparent fluid circulated across my eyeballs, yet nothing obscured my vision—if anything, my sight had sharpened considerably.
Even the surrounding air felt suddenly cleaner.
‘This is… wonderful.’
A smile spread across my face of its own accord.
“You’re that pleased with it?”
“Yes, it’s wonderful.”
“Why not just pull out the other necklaces and wear a couple of them?”
“No, no. This one is more than enough. My eyes feel so much better.”
Jerik chuckled at my response.
“I’ll have to reassess Jinu. For a merchant, he’s got surprisingly good character. The service is excellent too. Selling an item like this first, and at such a reasonable price no less.”
“Ah… yes, that’s true.”
Around the time I was laughing awkwardly at Jerik’s words, we arrived at our reserved seating.
Whoosh.
“If you draw this curtain, people outside won’t be able to see in. And you’ll have no trouble viewing the auction platform.”
Just as Jinu had said, the semi-transparent curtain slightly dulled the view, but presented no real obstacle to seeing the auctioneer’s platform being set up.
“Here’s your catalog. When you wish to bid, simply inform your assigned attendant.”
“Right. Thank you.”
“Then…”
After Jinu left, the auction began roughly an hour later.
* * *
“This piece emits an aura that exerts pressure on nearby enemies. The range and potency vary according to magical power. Full option details are included in the materials provided.”
[Battle-ska’s Leather Armor (Rare)]
-Defense +20
-Aura of Oppression (Rare)
The armor had only two options: defense and one special ability.

-A constantly active aura that applies pressure to enemies drawing near.
(Pressure Range: Magic Power × 0.1m)
(All physical abilities of enemies reduced by ‘Magic Power × 0.1’)
“The range and power are ambiguous, which is why it’s rated Rare rather than Super Rare. If the option coefficient were just slightly higher, this armor could easily achieve Super Rare status. We’ll begin bidding at 300 gold, with increments of 50 gold.”
Murmurs rippled through the auction house.
“It’s pretty vague, though.”
“Very vague. It would’ve been excellent if the coefficient were around 0.3.”
“Which is why it’s only Rare.”
“Still, the defense is among the highest for leather-grade Rare items. It might be worth the price?”
“Hmm. You think so?”
“I…”
The murmuring from the floor carried all the way up to the reserved seating.
The atmosphere wasn’t particularly positive.
But my assessment differed slightly.
‘Isn’t this actually quite useful?’
Because the range was short, enemies only felt the pressure’s effect once they’d closed in—which was actually an advantage.
For the same reason, the subtle reduction in physical abilities seemed more than adequate.
A difference of that magnitude could mean the line between life and death.
‘Every technique’s accuracy would be thrown off.’
An attack that should land might miss entirely, while my own strike might connect where it shouldn’t.
“Isn’t it decent?”
“Well, yes… but…”
“But what?”
“…Didn’t I see that armor among the instant-purchase items?”
“What?”
“No, never mind. It must be a mistake. Leather armor tends to look alike anyway.”
“Hmm…?”
It didn’t feel like a mistake.
Because I’d seen something similar too.
And the ability was identical.
Except for one thing—there was no penalty option visible among the options.
* That much additional weight was placed on the user instead.
If that penalty were real, the armor would be utterly useless.
But remove that one penalty, and it transforms into armor with remarkable performance.
That’s why it stuck with me.
‘Was it fifty gold?’
I’d regretted at the time that if the size had been smaller or it were made of cloth, I could’ve rolled it up and stuffed it into a goblin basket.
‘Hailon.’
So this was the scheme he’d set in motion.
‘What was he planning if I’d actually noticed and picked it up for cheap?’
He seemed awfully curious about my Trait.
But even now.
“……It seems better to bid on it. I have enough funds, after all.”
“Hmm. Do you want it?”
“Yes. It looks more than serviceable.”
“Oh? Why do you think so? The atmosphere here seems to see things differently.”
When I told Jerik what I was thinking, he broke into a grin.
“That’s right. You’ve grown. Not swayed by the prattling of fools.”
“Fools?”
“Yes. The ones spouting nonsense now—they don’t even know what martial arts are. They just bully their way through with specs and Ability Slots. No matter how much it’s the trend these days. Half-wits like that at the Mid-tier Auction House… Tsk. They’ll spend their whole lives here.”
Jerik dismissed those down below harshly.
“It doesn’t look bad. No, it’s good. Especially if you keep insisting on solo play.”
“Yes, then.”
Jerik’s firm affirmation gave me confidence, so I bid right away.
Though it seemed not everyone below was a complete idiot—there was a brief bidding war.
But in the end, it went to me.
“Lot sold to the guest in Room 9 for five hundred gold.”
I spent two hundred gold more than the opening bid, but it was a satisfying purchase nonetheless.
Super Rare-grade armor higher than this remains out of reach for now.
I had to save my budget for the spear.
In fact.
[Lion King Battle Armor (Super Rare)]
-Defense +39
-Monstrous Strength (Rare)
-Steel Flesh (Rare)
-Rapid Recovery (Rare)
A single suit of armor with such excellent options by anyone’s measure went for a starting bid of two thousand gold and sold for no less than seventy-five hundred.
“Wow…….”
“Don’t harbor regrets. It’s not something you could buy anyway.”
“……Yes, I know.”
I hadn’t harbored any regrets to begin with.
It was only unsettling that the armor had been sold to the adjacent room—where Cha Hyeryeon and Lee Jinseong were.
‘Don’t worry about it.’
After all, the only thing I should be eyeing now was Ethylene’s Thunder Spear, which would be auctioned tomorrow.

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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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