Conquering the Labyrinth with a Trash-Tier Trait - Chapter 49

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

Episode 49
Whoosh.
The small arrow vanished from my sight the instant it flew toward me.
But the Wind Spirit already active—Poong Chul-woo’s senses—clearly felt the presence of that tiny arrow cutting through the air.
‘Deflect it!’
Even if I couldn’t bear the force embedded in the arrow, simply shifting its trajectory slightly would be enough.
Crack.
Or so I thought. The moment I applied force to twist the arrow’s path, I saw it shatter into three fragments, each one targeting my body’s head, heart, and groin—only then did reality hit me.
‘No!’
The fortunate part was that my main body had already begun twisting the moment the arrow was released.
Beyond that.
Crack-crack.
I summoned the Earth Spirit and transformed, my entire body taking on an earthy brown hue.
Ping.
One fragment shot past the space where my head had been.
Ting.
Another fragment bounced off my Leather Armor with a metallic scrape.
Slash.
The last fragment carved a wound across my palm shielding my groin, then ricocheted away.
The moment I blocked them all, I understood with absolute clarity.
If my stats hadn’t risen this much, that ambush would have been fatal.
“This…….”
“What the hell are you doing!?”
Bang!
Before I could react, Jerrick beside me rushed forward with terrifying speed and thrust his wooden spear at the throat of Ella, who had just fired the arrow.
‘When……?’
Had Ella not raised both arms in a gesture of surrender, that spear would surely have pierced her throat clean through.
“You’d better explain yourself properly, or you die here.”
The wooden spear stopped just before Ella’s slender neck.
Despite clearly feeling the chilling bloodlust radiating from Jerrick behind the spear, Ella simply smiled.
“That transformation. Ah, as I mentioned, I was only checking whether the rumors were true. But it seems they are. Quite fascinating, really.”
“Is that so? Then I suppose I could bore a hole through your neck for entertainment as well.”
“Ah, that would be rather inconvenient…….”
“Hm. Inconvenient?”
Jerrick’s bloodlust deepened, and the spear began to move.
“……How about this instead? I’ll pay compensation. For the discourtesy of the test. Five hundred Gold?”
Throughout the exchange, Ella’s gaze kept directed toward me.
Only then did I realize I was still in my Earth Spirit transformation, and I hastily released it.
A sharp sting finally registered in my left palm, which bore a long gash.
Ella let out a small laugh.
“A Spirit Skill, I presume? Quite an intriguing method. Surprising too.”
“Hm. Intriguing?”
“Yes. Transforming without Mana—that’s a rare case indeed. Rather… interesting.”
At that nonchalant tone, Jerrick’s spear shifted slightly.
Slash.
Blood trickled from her throat, and only then did her gaze turn toward Jerrick.
“……Oh dear. Is the compensation insufficient?”
“What?”
“This is troublesome. That’s all the money I have.”
“Ha……?”
“Even so, would it be possible not to kill me? I still have things to do. I came here out of curiosity, after all.”
It wasn’t only Jerrick who sensed something grotesque in that attitude.
“What. Who is this woman?”
“Speaking madness so calmly…….”
“Where did she even come from?”
“More importantly. Doesn’t this seem strange?”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Even in the Savage City, this wasn’t a normal situation.
“I’ll take it. The compensation.”
“……Char?”
“You’ve got money now, so why refuse? A wound like this will heal in no time.”
“If I let this slide for that pittance, there’ll be plenty more like him crawling out of the woodwork.”
“Nice work making gold. Well, then.”
At my words, Jerrick fixed me with an expression of sheer bewilderment.
But I was sincere.
Jerrick might not understand, but from where I stood—having pulled almost nothing from the 10th Floor—500 gold felt like a miracle.
And more than that.
‘A clone? A clone? Is that even an ability?’
Whatever it was, I couldn’t afford to touch it.
The certainty that probing further into this bizarre thing wearing a human mask would bring nothing but trouble pressed down on me too heavily to ignore.
Whoosh.
-That’s a Doppelgänger, Master, I communicated discreetly to Poong Chul-woo.
Jerrick flinched at the message, but quickly stepped back.
“I swear, I’ve seen some crazy ones. Since the parties involved are settling it, I’ll let it go, but don’t let me see your face again.”
The way she casually continued the performance of fury without missing a beat—was that experience?
The moment I was admiring that internally.
Whip.
Thud.
A heavy pouch flew through the air, and I caught it reflexively.
“Compensation for the rudeness. 500 gold. You can count it if you like.”
“……What. That should be right.”
A monster commanding a 2nd-class Adventurer-form Doppelgänger didn’t seem the type to play games with such a small amount of money(?)
That’s why I said it, but Ella tilted her head.
“……Well, I’m grateful you trust me. In that spirit, could you answer just one thing for me?”
“What……?”
“That skill—you’re layering a Spirit over your body, right?”
“……Well, yes, but——”
Since she was asking as if she already knew, there was no point in lying.
“When you transform, does your head ever feel strange? Sudden odd thoughts? Changes in personality?”
But the follow-up question made me falter.
What was she getting at?
“……That would be a second question, wouldn’t it?”
I tried to deflect with a convenient excuse.
“Hmm. Looks like I was right. Tch.”
I watched Ella’s expression grow cold.
“What do you mean?”
“Never mind. I’m done here.”
She didn’t answer my question—just turned and walked away.
“If you have something to say, please speak freely, senior.”
“……Senior?”
“As an adventurer, aren’t you my senior? It seemed like your words carried weight, so I thought if you were offering counsel, I’d take it to heart.”
At that, Ella and most of the others watching in silence let out dry laughs.
“To the person who just tried to kill you……?”
“That guy’s definitely not right in the head either.”
“Actually, I’ve heard some rumors——”
“Rumors?”
From among the murmuring crowd, Ella chuckled and continued.
“Well. You’ve got good manners. So here’s one piece of advice: whatever that ability or skill is, throw it away.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Accepting another being into your body or soul—it’s not as simple as you think. Even if it is just a formless Spirit.”
“What do you mean?”
“Keep using it, and eventually this place gets scrambled. Right here.”
She tapped her head lightly.
“At least, that’s what happened to the one I knew.”
I couldn’t help but ask.
“What became of him?”
Ella’s retreating footsteps halted for a moment.
“…….”
For the first time, her answer didn’t come right away.
“Did he die?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Ella merely turned her head.
“It would’ve been easier if I were dead.”
“……?”
“That’s it then. Truly the end.”
She turned and walked away, never looking back.
‘Is she saying she knows some madman with an ability similar to mine?’
An uneasy feeling settled over me, though it passed quickly enough.
I had a rough idea what she meant.
But my case is different.
Still, her parting words carried considerable weight.
She’d left an impression so strange and forceful that it was hard to believe she was merely a Doppelgänger of someone unknown.
“You’re saying I could go mad?”
“Was it really that dangerous a Skill?”
“Though I have to admit it was impressive…….”
Just looking at the Scouts around me, who seemed deeply affected by her words despite not knowing who she was, said everything.
A hand rose quietly among them.
“Um, Char. Would it be alright if I asked you a question?”
“Yes?”
“Well, there’s something I’ve wanted to confirm since a moment ago…….”
He asked carefully, gauging my reaction.
“Is it true that as soon as you made money, you bought hundreds of Noble Underwear from the Magic Tower?”
The question seems utterly out of place in this situation, but it’s also one I’ve been expecting.
“Yes.”
“Er, if it’s not presumptuous, might I ask why you did that……?”
“I like underwear.”
His expression went blank at my answer.
“What does that even……?”
“It’s certainly a bit…….”
The murmuring that had paused for a moment started up again.
“So when you say you bought hundreds of Voice Filter Earrings while soloing……?”
“That’s true as well.”
“……Why?”
“They’re pretty.”
“But hundreds of them?”
“Pretty things are better in abundance.”
“……Insane.”
The murmuring grew louder.
“I heard you bought a lot of Necklaces at the Auction House.”
“They’re pretty.”
“……So you really did accumulate over a thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones……?”
“Ah, I heard those are good for your health.”
“Spirit Stones are good for your health? The Magic Tower issued a statement saying that’s a baseless rumor.”
“They work for me.”
“…….”
“…….”
With each question, the Scouts’ expressions grew increasingly grotesque.
It was intentional on my part, but I found the looks they were giving me—as if watching some magnificent deviant—not particularly welcome.
“Ah, I think we should consult with our superiors…….”
“Me too, me too!”
“It was nice to meet you, Char!”
They each left behind similar remarks and departed.
I could’ve sworn I was the one who rejected them first.
So why did it feel like they’d just turned me down?
“Hah…….”
But then.
“As expected.”
“……?”
Some of them hadn’t left.
The man who had shown the Armis Identity Badge.
The very person who had posed that strange question first was, oddly, still lingering.
“I’m impressed.”
“By what?”
“By the nerve. You pull off such extraordinary antics and yet show absolutely no concern for what others think.”
……
“Armis needs talent like that.”
No.
That wasn’t my intention at all.
“The Golden God Guild feels the same way. We value not just nerve and ability, but individuality as well.”
Contrasting sharply with the lanky Armis man stood another figure—stockier, rounder in appearance.
[Gary / Intermediate Mage (2nd Advancement) Lv.29]
[Executive and Scout for the Valter Guild, a subsidiary of Armis]
[Doni / Intermediate Warrior (2nd Advancement) Lv.27]
[Scout for the Golden God Guild, operating under the Merchant Guild.]
Both of them remained, their eyes gleaming as they fixed their gaze on me.
“Armis, you said……?”
“One of Barthus’s three major guilds, of course. You’d naturally know that.”
I didn’t.
“Of course, you’d have to start with the Valter Guild, a subsidiary, but once you prove your abilities…….”
“And the Golden God Guild is backed by the Merchant Guild?”
As I turned away from him without responding, the rounder man lit up.
“Ah, I knew you’d understand! With our guild’s backing from the Merchant Guild, we’re prepared to support Char’s growth in every way——”
Two leeches that clung even through my pretense of depravity.
“I appreciate the interest, but…….”
Just as I was about to repeat what I’d said initially.
“Gentlemen, I’m afraid the Royal Palace has prior negotiating rights with Go Chul-woo.”
An unfamiliar voice cut in.
“The Royal Palace?”
“Who?”
The moment I turned, I saw a dark-haired man clad in golden armor approaching from a distance, dressed as a knight.
I knew him.
‘Lee Jin-sung? What’s he doing here?’
I reflexively sent a Spirit to check his information.
[Name: Lee Jin-sung]
[Royal Knight (3rd Advancement) Lv.35]
[Abilities: 2/4]
—Swordsmanship. Magic.
[Summoner of Barthus]
[Trait: Crack]
‘Hm…….’
He’d already reached 3rd Advancement too. Annoying as it was, my eyes snagged on his trait.
‘Crack?’
I checked his trait, but I couldn’t fathom what it meant.
All I could discern was that it had earned an A-rank rating, the same as Cha Hye-ryeon’s.
“Sorry I’m late. Chul-woo, this is our second meeting, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“This time, though, I’ve come on official business.”
“Is this related to what I just heard?”
“Ah, yes. The Royal Palace has begun reassessing your value, you see. You know Summoners are originally supposed to belong to the Royal Palace, don’t you?”
Lee Jin-sung smiled slightly as he spoke, and my expression hardened.

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