Chapter 44
Chapter 44
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Training
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Training.
Hero.
That name carries a slightly different connotation in this world.
If it evokes the image of the Demon King's arch-nemesis, here it's closer to a talent capable of reaching the pinnacle of the Labyrinth.
In any era, those blessed with hero's talent either had their buds nipped early...
or became heroes and delved into the Labyrinth's deepest floors.
'Orc Hero.'
I pondered the name.
One of the toughest races in the Labyrinth.
The race that led the charge in Labyrinth conquests with their uniquely resilient bodies.
Swordsmanship wielded by the hero of such a race.
'Not all that great.'
I furrowed my brow.
Being revered by guys like Burkan was fine.
But being idolized by idiots even dumber than Burkan? That's a whole other problem.
'I'm already being careful not to stand out.'
Drawing that kind of attention was way too risky.
"Of course, if you're willing to abandon staying low-key, you can swing it around all you want. Hell, I could even vouch for you."
The old dwarf grinned like it was the funniest thing ever.
Well, sure, it was amusing from the sidelines.
For the guy on the receiving end, though? Pure hell.
I scowled and flat-out refused.
"I'd rather not."
"Then show some restraint."
Yeah, restraint was probably wise.
Of course, if push came to shove, I'd use it.
Nothing mattered more than my life or my party members'.
"I'll use it if it's urgent, but crowded places are a no-go."
"Eh, you'll figure something out. You've got that purple lightning, right?"
"Well..."
I held out my palm.
A purple electric orb crackled and sparked above it.
"That alone would make you unbeatable at your level. Your current swordsmanship has a few issues, though."
"......Hmm."
"So, what's the plan now?"
"Plan for what?"
"Time to decide, isn't it? With your talents, you won't neglect sword or bow, but you need to pick a main focus soon."
He had a point.
With my current abilities, I could max out both skills.
'But leaning harder into one could push it even further.'
The whole appeal of the Labyrinth was party play, after all.
Having party members cover my weaknesses was ideal.
Even if I slacked a bit on close combat, they could pick up the slack.
'Maybe I should discuss it with them.'
I bid Volkan farewell and headed outside.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Volkan watched Han Yuseong leave.
'Monstrous bastard.'
How the hell did he learn all that?
He'd said it casually, but this defied all logic.
Other races couldn't learn each other's secret arts.
It was an absolute rule.
Humans couldn't master elven secrets, and elves couldn't grasp human ones.
For centuries, it had been etched in stone as unbreakable truth.
'And yet that guy...'
He'd mastered both elven and orc secrets.
Of course, he couldn't wield them at full power.
The user was too weak for that.
Orc secrets that cleaved all, elven secrets that shattered all—they were that formidable.
Even Volkan couldn't handle them properly.
Maybe a guild master could give it a shot.
"Tch."
Volkan glanced at his palm.
He clicked his tongue.
An unnecessary gash.
'Tried to look cool.'
He'd taken that sword head-on.
That's why his palm was cut.
"......Monstrous bastard."
That was all there was to it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After leaving the guild, I sat on a bench to sort my thoughts.
'Actually, this works out perfectly.'
Being up front was starting to feel burdensome.
Sure, step up in emergencies, but sniping from the back suited me better.
'Should I focus more on swordsmanship?'
The thought hit me while fleeing in the last Labyrinth run.
From the party's perspective, me shining from the rear was the better play.
We already had plenty up front.
Ermé, Teresa, Rozante—all melee powerhouses.
Me and the glasses kid handling the backline was optimal.
So my choice boiled down to...
'Bow.'
Bow and arrows.
Plus traps and scouting—that benefited the party most.
I'd even started making traps lately.
Used sharp bowstrings to rig some against that goblin squad led by the skeleton horse, conserving stamina.
'......Bow's not bad.'
Truth be told, swordsmanship wasn't my style.
I preferred toying with foes, wearing them down.
So focusing on bow was solid, but...
'Is there more?'
I felt my rogue side lacking something.
Like there was more I wanted to do.
What was a rogue, really?
A jack-of-all-trades.
Archer, bit of swordplay, traps, scouting.
Jack-of-all became master-of-all.
As a Thief Hero candidate, aiming for versatility made sense.
Lost in those thoughts, I scanned the Labyrinth request board.
Special materials from the depths, escort gigs, all sorts.
But herbs caught my eye.
'I've got the knowledge.'
I even knew which herbs made poisons.
Poisons... poisons, huh.
'Poisons could be handy if I know my stuff.'
Paralysis, sleep, corrosive—the works.
Rogue Mastery fed me endless knowledge.
So first things first.
'Time to snag some poison.'
Places dealt in herbs and toxic plants.
Couldn't buy bulk—too risky for human use.
'Even if not, that guy might hook me up.'
I recalled the black market kid who tangled with Ermé.
Felt like she owned the joint.
'Let's see what I can get.'
Stock up on trap supplies too while I'm at it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "What brings you without the girl?"
First words upon entering the smithy.
The forge where I'd first come with Ermé.
According to her, a [Master Smith] title holder.
"I'd like some sharp bowstrings this time."
"......For that?"
"Used 'em for traps last time. Pretty useful."
"Ah, like wire traps. Wouldn't be surprised coming from you."
The dwarf treated me like an old pal already.
Fine by me—pay fair, get quality gear.
"Follow me. Got something for you."
"For me?"
"Repaying a favor."
"Favor?"
"Viola. You saved the kid, right?"
"......?"
"He's from my clan. I drop by to smith for them sometimes. Just wanna say thanks for saving him."
How did things connect like this?
Dazed, I followed him inside.
"Overheard Viola—you're level 3?"
"Yes."
"Fresh in Cradle, that pace... Kid's got an eye for people. Try this."
The dwarf showed me some wire on the side.
Razor-sharp strings—touch it wrong, and it'd sever a hand.
"......This looks dangerous."
"You can handle it."
Yeah, probably.
I focused with Rogue Mastery.
It flooded me with info, plus insane dexterity buffs.
Why I shot bows so well, handled strings effortlessly—that dexterity at work.
I gripped the wire.
'This.'
A bit risky. Even I'd lose a finger without care.
In other words...
'Perfect weapon material.'
Double-edged sword—no, demonic blade vibes.
I grinned.
"You're really giving me this?"
"That grin says you love it. Take this too."
The dwarf tossed a dagger.
I caught it lightly and inspected.
Black blade gleaming.
"......Looks pricey."
"Cheap for a life."
"In that case, I won't hold back."
Refusing now would be rude.
I slipped the dagger inside my coat.
"This too. Need storage for that wire."
"Thanks."
"And this. You swing swords sloppy— they'll rust fast without care."
"......You can tell I have a sheath?"
"Not called the iron race for nothing."
"Appreciate it then."
......Even a guy like me felt a pang.
"Your face says all this is overwhelming."
"Well, yeah."
"Don't call it charity. It's an investment."
"Investment?"
"Heard about your exploits. Beyond Viola. A guy like you will dive deep eventually. Sell me rare drops first—that's the bet."
"......Fair enough."
I took everything he offered.
"Taking it with such shameless glee."
"You insist, refusing would be rude."
"Pfft. True enough."
The dwarf chuckled heartily and tossed one last comment.
"Name's Durin."
"Han Yuseong."
"Right. See ya."
Durin retreated inside.
I left the smithy.
Then closed my eyes calmly.
'Time to claim it.'
Main quest.
When I uncovered the skeleton horse possessing Marcel's body.
Encountered an abyssal being, it said.
Time for the reward.
⚙ MAIN QUEST - CHAPTER 2 ⚙ You have encountered a being from the Abyss. He possesses the qualifications of a White Commander. Kill him or reclaim Marcel. Reward: Marcel's body + ??? Failure: No penalty. You may obtain one random gift and Gift Selection Right (B) as reward. I smirked at the quest window.
Basics down, now it's DIY time, huh?
'Whatever.'
Just scarfing handouts wasn't my style anyway.
And I knew plenty about that place already.
'Heard some combos from that guy I wanna try.'
I hit complete.
🎁 REWARD ACQUIRED 🎁 Random Gift: Elf's Compounding Ability (A) ⚔ GIFT ⚔ Elf's Compounding Ability (A) ◇ Distinguishes all herbs and toxic plants. ◇ Allows crafting of all drugs and poisons within dexterity limits. ◇ Enhances compounding proficiency. "......?"
"......"
Like alchemy, sorta.
But felt different somehow.
Then it hit—knowledge slamming into my brain.
"......"
My body swayed.
This feeling always sucked.
But now I knew how to use it.
Bought herbs and toxins at a general store.
Back at the inn, started compounding.
'Low-grade stuff, won't yield much.'
Item Universal Blood Powder ◇ Poison that inflicts bleeding on target. Like this, huh?
I eyed the purple poison in the vial.
Made antidote just in case.
Time left after.
Headed to the inn kitchen for another use.
"Mind if I borrow the kitchen?"
"The kitchen?"
"Wanna cook for once."
"Hmm......"
"I'll pay for ingredients."
"Fine then."
Handed over three fairy tales, whipped up simple pasta.
Realized while making poison and antidote.
'My mana seeped into the herbs.'
Tried cooking—same result.
Mana infused ingredients.
Out came basic tomato pasta.
"Ooh, what's this? You cook too?"
"......"
Do I look like I can't?
Ignored Ermé, forked a bite.
"Oh."
Tastier than expected.
Local food was bland; mine exploded with umami somehow.
"Whoa, that face—must be amazing. Gimme a bite."
"Here."
Offered my fork. Ermé eyed me weirdly, then shrugged and twirled spaghetti into her mouth.
"......"
"......"
She devoured my spaghetti.
"Heh, hehe...... It was just too good......"
"......"
"......I-I'll buy you something tasty later!"
"Sure......"
The next day, such incidents behind us.
"......Damn these brute swordsmen, I'll gut 'em all."
"Hah! What kinda talk is that? Run faster!"
"Puhaha! A swordsman like you gassed already? Skimped on stamina training?"
You monsters are the problem.
I glared at Burkan and Volkan, united in tormenting me.