Conquering the Labyrinth with a Trash-Tier Trait - Chapter 69

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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 69
“Wow! Four days—that’s incredibly fast for you to clear it.”
“…Is that a compliment?”
“Of course it is!”
Jerik chuckled and clapped me on the shoulder.
“And it’s unusual that you brought along a… housemate, shall we say.”
“I’m Max. I was born and raised in the Golden Acre on the 11th Floor. I recently passed through the Novice Rank and…”
“Huh? You’re from the 11th Floor?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re starting the Novice Rank from the 1st Floor again? Does that even work? Oh—is your bloodline not a Labyrinth native?”
“Brother…”
Max looked at me as if I’d lost my mind, while Jerik let out an amused breath.
“Even if you’re not born in Bartus or of adventurer lineage, a Labyrinth native can still become an adventurer before reaching Adulthood at eighteen.”
“Really!?”
I had no idea.
“Of course, you need Mana, and whether someone teaches you or you awaken on your own, there’s the prerequisite of receiving the System’s Blessing.”
“I see…”
“And since I was born on the 11th Floor, I can go there regardless of my rank.”
“Ah. So if you’re native to a floor, you can enter it freely, regardless of rank?”
“Yes. At least, that’s my understanding…”
“That’s right. Of course, the deeper your native floor, the harder it’ll be to survive outside the city.”
“Ah… I see.”
If someone were born as an ordinary person in a deep floor, they wouldn’t last a second against a single monster outside the city.
“Anyway, that means you have nowhere to stay in Bartus, right?”
“Yes. I’m sorry to ask, but I was hoping to impose on the Martial Arts Hall for a while…”
This was something we’d discussed on the way here.
But Master Jerik’s reaction was unexpected.
“Don’t do that. You’re both proper adventurers with Classes now—why not try finding a place in the 8th District?”
“…Pardon?”
“Master, housing prices in Bartus are what they are. That money would be better spent on equipment or supplies.”
“Well, sure—if you’re planning to stay in the Labyrinth forever and never return to Bartus, that’d be the smart choice.”
“…?”
“Why do you think Bartus is divided into districts? And arranged in circles around the Labyrinth, no less?”
“Isn’t it because of rank?”
“That too. But if that were the only reason, it’d be simpler to divide it into inner and outer cities, or organize it by cardinal directions for administrative convenience. Circular districts are inefficient.”
…He had a point.
The 9th District, the widest of all, wrapped around the outer edge of Bartus, but residents on the east and west sides, north and south, rarely crossed paths—it might as well have been a different region entirely.
“Are you saying there’s another reason, sir?”
“Yes. The Labyrinth.”
“…?”
“Haven’t you noticed Mana fluctuating more intensely as you get closer to the Labyrinth?”
“Well, of course I—”
I stopped mid-answer, struck by realization.
There was one embarrassingly simple fact I’d been overlooking.
“…Don’t tell me. The closer to the Labyrinth, the better Mana training becomes?”
“Exactly. That’s why the districts are arranged in circles around the Labyrinth.”
“Ah…”
“To put it bluntly, research shows Mana training efficiency is thirty times better in the 0th District where the Royal Palace stands than in the 9th District. That’s why Bartus restricts where people can live based on adventurer rank or native status.”
At that, I suddenly recalled the Royal Palace Summoners I’d met in the 11th Floor jungle.
‘Thirty times the efficiency, and they were still that weak?’
A strange mix of pride in my own growth and rage at the Royal Palace stirred in my chest.
“I understand, sir, but buying a house in a district I might only stay in for a few months seems wasteful.”
Jerik laughed dryly at my words.
“A few months? Even from the lower floors, that’s presumptuous. Not that I doubt your confidence—you’ve shown me enough—but who said anything about buying?”
“…What?”
“Isn’t Monthly Rent a system here?”
“Oh!”
“If you’re only staying a few months like you say, it’s smarter to rent. That way you can consider Mana efficiency when you return for rest and training.”
“And once you hit a wall, you save money and find a permanent place in that district?”
“That’s right. That’s the typical adventurer’s path. Unless circumstances are exceptional.”
I ignored Jerik’s self-deprecating smile that flickered across his face the moment he said “special circumstances.”
“And more than anything else—I’ve properly raised one promising candidate already. Find me another one worth training, so clear out some space. I won’t complain if you drop by now and then. Ahem.”
“But didn’t you just say a while ago that I could stay forever?”
“That was before you started bringing freeloaders home.”
“……Wow.”
I had nothing left to say.
“If you hate spending money, why not join a Guild? Kirk and Geeks keep asking what you’re up to anyway.”
“……I’ll go look for a place to rent.”
“Good thinking. And if you’re planning to form a solo party, consider registering with the Guild Association too. They provide rent subsidies for lower-tier Guilds.”
“Ah…….”
“And the deeper you go, the rarer resources become and Labyrinths grow narrower. Once you’re registered as a Guild and build achievements and reputation, if you gain influence in the Association, you’ll have at least some opening to wedge yourself into the deeper Cartels…….”
“……Excuse me?”
“Ahem. That slipped out. You don’t need to know about that yet.”
I felt like I’d just heard something momentous.
“Right. A Guild needs at least four members anyway, so don’t worry about it now. And be careful picking companions—grabbing just anyone isn’t wise.”
“Sir! I swear my loyalty to Lord Char!”
“……Weed out the strange ones too, if you don’t mind.”
Max, suddenly branded as the strange one, hung his head low.
Jerik, whose expression had been stern all along, let out a soft chuckle and leaned over to whisper in my ear.
“He seems like a good kid, though.”
“Yes. And his specialty is clear.”
“Right. Very clear. Carrying two shields around isn’t exactly ordinary.”
Hmm.
‘That’s not what I meant.’
I decided not to mention it, saving the surprise for when someone inevitably tasted Max’s cooking.
“Ah. A two-room house in the 8th District goes for about 1 Gold in monthly rent, so don’t get swindled.”
“Yes, thank you. I’ll still come by here when I need to train in martial arts.”
“Good. You’re always welcome for that.”
* * *
Though circumstances had shifted somewhat from my expectations, what followed unfolded as planned.
“Wow, you brought a lot of Elite materials? And Ability Stones too. Wow……. How did you……. Did you slaughter every 10th Floor Range Elite monster?”
Ruda, who ran a prominent shop in the 8th District dealing exclusively with official Adventurers, greeted me with the same warmth as always.
She gasped once at the Butchering materials I laid out, then gasped again when I poured out the Ability Stones.
Twenty Ability Stones in total—save for a single Weak-Slayer, which I might use later when grinding Ko Cheol-woo’s Innate Ability.
“I was lucky.”
“Lucky……. Yes, I suppose so.”
Ruda simply nodded with a knowing look in her eyes.
“Though their condition isn’t great, I’m afraid…….”
“No. I suppose my luck ran out there.”
“Hmm……. Let me examine these for a moment.”
After looking them over briefly, Ruda offered 300 Gold just for the Ability Stones.
“They’re all junk grade—aren’t you being too generous?”
“Oh no. Wide-area dispersal types like these sell dearly when crafted into Artifacts like bows or staffs. I’m factoring all that in.”
“Ah……. I see.”
I’d been so fixated on how rare Ability Stones were that I’d overlooked they could be used as Artifact materials.
“Of course, I’m also cutting you a slightly better deal out of consideration for your relationship with Lord Char.”
“Ah…….”
The added words and her kind smile felt a bit burdensome.
“And the rest of the materials are mostly Advanced and Top-tier grade. I’ll give you 100 Gold for everything.”
“That’s good.”
I’d received more than I’d anticipated—a solid deal.
Though of course the money was already earmarked.
“That’s 390 Gold for you, after setting aside 10 Gold for a generous three months’ deposit and rent for a house.”
“……Are you really giving me all of this?”
“Yes. I promised you.”
Setting aside the Ability Stone I’d used to make the Deadly Spore, just thinking about the value of Kael’s leather boots made this compensation seem too small.
“Still, I haven’t done much, and you even gave me that sword…….”
“I told you already. You did well enough. In a situation where a vanguard matters, blocking properly a few times is all I ask for. What more do you want?”
“……But still…….”
“If you think you’ve been overpaid, then work harder going forward.”
“…Yes, hyung!”
Only then did Max bite his lip hard and accept the pouch of coins.
“I’ll do my very best from now on!”
“Good. Now let’s go find a room.”
I’d gone broke again, but watching Max’s face light up with gratitude made my shoulders rise of their own accord.
And once more, I found myself reconsidering.
‘I really do need to think more carefully about the third Ability Stone.’
A plain orange Ability Stone sold for around 100 gold, while the truly rare and useful ones fetched ten times that.
But the real problem wasn’t the purchase price—it was what came later, when your rank advanced and you needed to swap up to a higher-tier stone. The cost of erasing the old one.
‘Goddess’s Tear. A thousand gold. Good grief.’
That was probably why even Cha Hye-ryeon, backed by Royal Palace support, hadn’t owned a second Super Rare item besides that Whip—the Ability Stone setup was the bottleneck.
‘She must have swapped in an Emerald-grade stone to match her rank.’
That binge-eating, mesmerizing Innate Ability of hers had been downright chilling.
‘Still, it’s not like my specs are falling short of clearing the 10th Floor Range right now.’
I decided to think about the third Ability Stone more carefully once I’d saved up enough gold.
“Hyung, do you think I should buy a shield?”
“Hm? Not cooking tools?”
“Cooking… tools?”
“Ah. Never mind. Buy whatever you want. But why another shield?”
I switched topics fast before my ulterior motive could slip out.
“Oh. When we were blocking their attacks, this shield cracked. I don’t think it’ll last much longer.”
The Shield of Reflection that Max pulled out to show me was indeed crisscrossed with cracks I couldn’t believe I’d missed.
“Why not just repair it…?”
“Now that I’ve got some money, I figured I’d invest in a Rare-grade shield. I can sell this one for materials.”
“…All right, then. But listen, Max.”
“Yes?”
“If you used an Artifact cooking tool, wouldn’t your Mana-infused dishes have even better effects, duration, and sustain time?”
“Ah… I’d love to experiment with that. But for now, I’m a vanguard, so…”
No, you’re a cook.
‘If you made food with an Artifact, how unbelievably delicious would it be!?’
The words climbed all the way up my throat, but I couldn’t quite let them out.
I just smiled and nodded.
“Honestly, Rare-grade equipment is cheapest if you go to the 6th District, but we don’t have the clearance yet. We’d get price-gouged. So…”
“Jerik already gave me a letter of introduction!”
“…What?”
“He said since he couldn’t go himself, he’d introduce me to a blacksmith he knows well in the 6th District.”
“When?”
“When you were out that time, he gave it to me.”
“…I see.”
I’d been planning to owe the Master a favor. Looks like he’d already made his move.
‘Thank you, Master.’
Making my way to the 6th District smithy and weapon shop that Jerik had recommended, I stumbled upon something extraordinary.
“What is that?”
At my question, a man who looked more like a shop employee than a master blacksmith answered with a smile.
“Ah. A retired adventurer’s… well, legacy, really. His family sold it to us for materials cost only, but the options were too good to melt down, so we put it on the shelf as merchandise.”
[Matthew Erickson’s Iron Wok Shield (Rare Grade)]
-Defense +30
-Impact Absorption +30
-Mana Efficiency +20
“That really is impressive,” I admitted.
Max whistled low.
“Since it’s secondhand, we’ve kept the price down—just 400 gold.”
Max’s jaw dropped.
“Cheap? 400 gold?”
“Yes. Impact absorption, Mana efficiency—it has all the options a shield needs, doesn’t it? A +30 Defense is top-tier even within Rare Grade. If Mana efficiency had been +10 more, it’d be Super Rare Grade.”
“It does have great options, but the shape is pretty weird, isn’t it? It looks just like a wok! Completely inefficient as a shield!”
Max’s objection was fair.
The thing did indeed look like a large cooking wok.
Except the handle that should have been on the outside of the wok was attached inside, in the curved depression.
An arm handle that let you slip your forearm through to hold it like a shield, doubling as a wrist and forearm brace.
But that meant having to keep one arm buried deep inside it, and given its size and depth, it didn’t seem practical to wield it freely like a hand-shield the way Bartus does.
“Brother, no matter how good the options are, you’d have to completely sacrifice one arm’s mobility and your blind spots. What if we looked at something else…….”
“No, buy this one.”
“……Pardon?”
“It’s got all the options a shield needs, exactly as stated. Only thing is—master craftsman—it’s a bit much as it stands, isn’t it? Could you trim it down a little?”
At the title of master craftsman, a faint smile crossed the employee’s face.
Looking at him, he seemed like a young apprentice.
“That’s… a bit beyond my authority…….”
“You said it’s secondhand, didn’t you? Then surely you have some discretion?”
“……Well, maybe about 10 gold.”
“Fine. Deal.”
“Brother! That’s literally my entire fortune right now!”
“You can sell the broken shield and cover living expenses.”
“What!? You said you were leaving this to me!”
I forced Max through the transaction anyway, ignoring his wronged expression, and dragged him outside.
And then.
“This is just a big wok, not a shield at all……. Sigh…….”
I explained it to the despondent Max.
“It’s a wok, that’s right.”
“Huh!?”
“Look.”
Based on the information I’d confirmed through its special properties, I cleverly twisted and separated the two handles and supports inside, then attached them to the wok’s rim.
Click.
Click.
“There. Now it’s a fine wok? A bit large, but still.”
“No, brother!”
“You see? It’s both a good shield and a good cooking tool.”
“But……!”
“Think about it. You bought one item and got a Rare Grade shield and a Rare Grade wok both. The item’s doubled. Understand?”
“……Huh? Yes?”
“Check it again.”
At my words, Max’s eyes widened as he examined the shield—or rather, the wok—again.
[Matthew Erickson’s Wok (Rare)]
-Enhances the flavor of cooked dishes by 30.
-Strengthens the nutritional potency of cooked dishes by 30.
“Wow……?”
“I told you I have an eye for items, didn’t I? It’s perfect for a Battle Chef.”
“……Yes, I’ll trust you.”
Max stared at the shield-cum-wok in a daze, tenderly running his fingers over it.
It was reason enough.
A Rare Grade cooking tool was far more precious as an Artifact than a Rare Grade shield.
Only a handful of wealthy people could afford Artifacts for cooking utensils, and consequently, almost no one bothered making them.
‘The people who sold this knew……. No, they definitely didn’t.’
The Magic Tower’s smithy would be the same.
If they’d known, they’d have asked ten times the price.
“You really like it that much?”
“Of course I do!”
As I watched this impeccable item that satisfied both his greed and mine, I found myself smiling too, when—
“Oh, fancy meeting you here again? Ko Cheol-woo.”
Korean suddenly came from behind.

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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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