Conquering the Labyrinth with a Trash-Tier Trait - Chapter 9

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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 9
A full ninety Gold.
In my year and a half living in this savage city of Bartuus, I’ve come to feel that one Gold is worth roughly a million won.
Therefore, I’ve just spent nearly ninety million won on a single pair of boots.
And that’s after Pederson took his cut from the two hundred forty Gold I received.
But then again.
‘Hell with it. They’re incredible! Damn!’
This weightless, soaring sensation was absolutely sublime.
Boots that conform perfectly to my feet and legs the moment I put them on. And they self-repair, no less.
Protective gear that shields my calves and shins completely.
Convenient Boots (High-Grade)
-No special combat abilities, but features shape-shifting to fit the foot, self-repair functionality, and a comfort mode that keeps the feet at ease.
As a trait, it has nothing to do with combat.
“I absolutely won’t regret this. Not at all!”
“What’s anyone going to say about it?”
Jerik chuckled and picked up the thread.
“Weren’t you warning me not to be extravagant?”
“No, you made a good buy.”
“Pardon?”
“Just crafting a steel boot tailored to your foot alone costs ten Gold. If you mix in alloy to make it more durable, it could run ten times that. Think of it that way, and ninety Gold for an artifact boot is a steal. An absolute steal.”
“……But why did you object earlier then?”
“I made a show of objecting strongly so you could haggle the price down. By ten Gold, no less.”
“Ah!”
So the seasoning of a fifty-level adventurer doesn’t fade away so easily after all.
With Jerik’s approval as well, my new boots became all the more precious to me.
‘Besides, I’ve heard that elite marathon runners’ custom shoes cost tens of millions of won. This is a bargain, a real bargain.’
Indulging in contented self-rationalization, I headed toward the blacksmith Jerik had recommended.
And there I drained the last of my savings, outfitting myself with Full Plate Armor and an Alloy Spear besides.
After burning through the Mana Stones I’d combined before entering the Dungeon and all the Gold distributed this time, I felt oddly hollow.
“Sigh……”
“Don’t be disheartened. This gear will save your life at least once.”
“……I know that much.”
The cost of outfitting myself with armor and a weapon that weren’t artifacts, aside from the boots, struck home anew.
“It’s just refurbishing existing pieces and fitting them to you, so it’ll take two or three days. Once you’re properly dressed, head to the Volante estate.”
“Yes.”
Three days later.
I entered the 4th District clad almost like a knight: artifact boots on my feet, Chain Mail under my arms, Half Plate Mail layered over it, and a Leg Harness securing my lower body.
‘I thought the gear was luxurious enough.’
But most of the people I passed wore equipment that shimmered with blue light or flashed with strange patterns, which deflated my confidence instantly.
Even the leather armor was artifacts, each one emanating its own peculiar glow and insignia.
‘Wow. So this is the 4th District.’
A zone where fifty-level adventurers or minor nobility could obtain residency rights.
Though visibly narrower than the 9th District, the towering buildings and ornate streets possessed a grandeur and beauty that more than compensated for the difference in breadth.
At the heart of the 4th District stood the Volante estate, marked by the emblem of a soaring bird.
‘A house descended from one who carried the legend of crossing an entire continent in a single day on foot.’
A family that had risen to nobility on nothing but that one thing—extraordinary speed.
But hearing that no one of the founder’s caliber had emerged in subsequent generations, the house had fallen into decline.
-It seems the successor needs a Ruler’s Power Stone to establish footing in the Royal Palace.
-The house has never leaked even the basics of their secret techniques to outsiders.
-Though, since the house rose to fame through footwork, there aren’t many coveting it. That’s why the foundational footwork is valued at three hundred Gold.
As I approached, mulling over what Pederson had told me, the guards at the main gate leveled their spears at me.
“Who goes there!?”
“Char of the Jerik Martial Arts School—formerly known as Jeok Cheol-u—has come for instruction. Please relay the message.”
“……Char?”
“The Jerik Martial Arts School?”
The guards looked bewildered, but one of them soon opened the gate and stepped inside.
Before thirty minutes had passed, a man with a dignified white beard and formal attire emerged from within.
“So you are Char. I am Bender, majordomo of the Volante Family. Please, come inside. Miss is waiting for you.”
Miss?
The unexpected title made me tilt my head, but I followed without protest.
Beyond a small but ornate garden, I encountered a woman with jade-green hair and emerald eyes, dressed in light armor in the courtyard’s inner grounds.
‘Hm?’
Not a single strand differed in color, so it wasn’t dyed—her hair appeared to be naturally that shade.
The strange hue of green suited her in an oddly striking way, framing those luminous emerald eyes.
The moment I saw her frown upon noticing me, I realized my mistake.
“Adventurer Char bows before the young lady of the noble house.”
I bent my knee in salute, lowering my head slightly, and her expression finally eased.
Still.
“Show me your status window.”
“…Would a partial display suffice?”
“Of course. Even just your name will do. I only need to verify your identity.”
The moment my identity was confirmed, the woman nodded and gestured for me to proceed.
“We’ll begin instruction immediately. However, even if this is merely a foundation technique, I require your oath that you will not teach it to anyone else.”
“Of course.”
“Should you break this oath…”
“I will accept whatever sanctions the Volante Family deems appropriate.”
“…Good.”
She seemed to be in her mid-twenties, around my age, yet every word carried an undeniable weight of authority.
Typical of nobility, I thought—but wait, no.
‘Is this the power of a Ruler’s authority? Interesting.’
I’d mocked myself for paying such an exorbitant price for what I thought was a useless Power Stone.
But feeling its effect now—how every word commanded attention—my perspective shifted slightly.
In this land, the nobility were politicians as well.
“What are you standing there for? Come here and match my stance.”
“Ah! Yes!”
“Before we begin, I should mention—our family’s footwork pursues ultimate lightness. It may not suit a spear user, but will you proceed?”
From what I’d heard of the nobility, her character seemed considerably better than most.
“Absolutely. I’ll develop it my own way in the end, regardless.”
“…I see. As a Summoner, that’s actually reassuring.”
She was referring to the risk of secret techniques being leaked, I realized.
“Now, the basics—lift your heels, concentrate your mana into your chest…”
“You use mana even for the fundamental technique?”
“…What did you just say?”
“Ah, nothing at all.”
Though her gaze turned somewhat sharp, Aris Volante taught me the Volante Fundamental Footwork with precision and rigor.
Over the course of an entire week.
“You certainly have talent. I expected a month, but you’ve built the foundation in just one week.”
“It’s only because you taught so well. I’m truly grateful.”
“…It was merely a transaction. But adventurer Char—or rather, Ko-Cheol-Woo—remember that name well.”
I watched Aris pronounce my real name with deliberate care, each syllable precise despite how foreign it must have sounded to local ears, and bowed once more.
“My gratitude is genuine.”
This was something worth thanking her for again and again.
[Volante Fundamental Footwork (Common-Grade—Lv.1)]
With this alone, I’d gained freedom of movement incomparably greater than the Retreat Step.
Honestly, my speed felt roughly thirty percent faster.
Jerik’s words about not all skills of the same grade being equal suddenly made perfect sense.
‘I’ll need to address the problem of my spear thrusts becoming too light…’
But even using it only for travel and escape, not combat, I could easily justify three hundred Gold or more in value.
And that wasn’t all.
The additional information I’d glimpsed through my Trait had been nothing short of shocking.
-A foundational introduction derived from the most basic principles of the legendary Uyeong Step.
-Adjust the angles of the second and third steps fifteen degrees to the left and ten degrees to the right, then add a ten-percent flow of mana to the lower abdomen, and you’ll have the original form of the true introductory technique that the Volante Family lost.
A thought had struck me when I discovered that I could apply my Trait within the Dungeon’s system interface, and I’d decided to try it.
I never expected such a secret to emerge.
‘Should I tell her about this?’
It was genuinely difficult to decide, but ultimately I chose silence.
I couldn’t foresee either the benefit or the danger of speaking, and that uncertainty was enough.
“If fate permits, perhaps we’ll meet again.”
“…Yes, if fate permits.”
Should our paths cross again as allies, I thought, perhaps then I could share what I’d learned.
That settled, I ended my training with the Volante Family.
Then, while practicing at the martial arts school, I refined the footwork I’d learned according to what my trait had taught me.
The result.
[Volante Footwork Stage 1 (Common-Grade – Lv.1)]
The skill’s name shifted subtly, and its effectiveness seemed to rise by roughly ten percent.
More than that.
—If you continue training in the correct direction, you may touch upon the legendary Uyeong Step.
This additional information, now confirmed, brought me even greater joy.
Thanks to it, I’d also grasped a new application of my trait with certainty.
[Pendulum Spear Technique (Common-Grade – Lv.10)]
—An extreme offensive-evasive spear art, but room for improvement exists. When stepping back, tilt the spear shaft to a fifteen-degree angle to control the opponent…….
‘It’s the same as what Jerik explained.’
In other words, my trait could act as yet another teacher, nurturing my skills toward growth.
Though there were matters where it proved useless.
[Bartuus Body Cultivation Technique (Common-Grade – Lv.7)]
—A foundational mana cultivation method bearing the name of the legendary hero Bartuus. It carries no penalty and remains true to fundamentals.
‘If there are no flaws, then there’s nothing to advise?’
It isn’t absolute.
Should a skill have something lacking, it’s merely a matter of supplementing it progressively.
But even that counts for something.
‘All you who dismissed ungraded skills—come out here!’
I wanted to cry out just like that, from the depths of my heart.
So I spent another three weeks polishing and mastering the Volante Footwork and the Pendulum Spear Technique.
In that time, the rapidly growing Bartuus Body Cultivation Technique also reached level ten.
Both my spear art and cultivation method had hit the common-grade skill ceiling.
I sought counsel from Jerik.
“A summoner’s Level-Up Points are best concentrated on a small number of skills. So choose carefully, and commit yourself fully.”
“What would you recommend, master?”
“My recommendation? Naturally, the Body Cultivation Technique and cultivation method.”
“……Of course. That makes sense.”
The Body Cultivation Technique—the foundation for handling mana, and a method that provided corrective effects to basic physical stats.
Advanced-grade or higher cultivation methods are monopolized by noble houses and major guilds, leaving ordinary people unable to study them.
Even Jerik, who had been an adventurer of the fiftieth floors, built his own cultivation method based on the Bartuus Body Cultivation Technique as his foundation.
And because of that, unless someone matched him in constitution, physique, and aptitude for mana in every respect, they couldn’t learn it.
That’s why Kirk, who managed to learn it, became Jerik’s star pupil.
It’s the greatest reason Jerik tells me not to call him master.
“The choice is yours.”
“Since orthodoxy is orthodoxy, it’s best to follow it.”
“Talented summoners properly sponsored by the Royal Palace have likely studied advanced-grade or higher mana cultivation methods from the start. By your aptitude for mana alone, you’re clearly overflowing with talent, yet…….”
Jerik clicked his tongue as though sympathetic, but I only shrugged.
“What can I do? I need to do my best with the circumstances I have.”
The spear art and footwork still had room for improvement, and perhaps—depending on how they developed—I could evolve them without consuming Level-Up Points.
But when it comes to cultivation methods, even by my trait’s standards, there’s no answer.
There’s no one and no organization that can teach me a valuable mana cultivation method.
‘A few Perfect Clears should replenish my Level-Up Points to some degree. That’s settled. Let’s do it.’

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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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