Chapter 43: Training – 5

Hero.

That name carries a slightly different meaning in this world.

Rather than being the adversary of the Demon King, here, it refers more to the talent needed to reach the pinnacle of the Labyrinth.

In every era, those born with a hero’s talent were either cut down early…

Or they became heroes, venturing into the deepest floors of the Labyrinth.

“An Orc Hero, huh.”

I pondered the meaning of that name.

One of the strongest races within the Labyrinth.

A race that had taken the lead in Labyrinth exploration thanks to their naturally powerful physiques.

And now, I was wielding the swordsmanship of a hero from that race.

“Not exactly ideal.”

I frowned.

Being admired by someone like Burkan was fine.

But being revered by those even less intelligent than him was a different issue altogether.

“I’m already trying to avoid standing out.”

Drawing attention in that way was far too dangerous.

“Of course, if you’re willing to give up on staying unnoticed, you can use it all you want. No, in fact, I could even vouch for you.”

The old man grinned, clearly entertained.

Well, I suppose it must be amusing from his perspective.

But from mine, it was nothing short of a nightmare.

I scowled and firmly declined.

“That’s not happening.”

“Then hold back.”

I should probably restrain myself.

Of course, if I needed to use it, I would.

Nothing was more important than my life or my party members’ survival.

“I’ll use it if it’s an emergency, but I get that it’s best to avoid it in crowded places.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll figure out a way. You do have that purple lightning, after all.”

“That thing, huh.”

I opened my palm.

A small sphere of purple lightning crackled and danced above it.

“Even with just that, there’s hardly anyone at your level who could match you. Though, the sword techniques you’re using now… they might be a bit of a problem.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, what’s your plan now?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s about time you made a decision. With your abilities, you won’t lose proficiency in either swords or bows, but eventually, you need to pick one as your main focus.”

He had a point.

Right now, I could push both skills to their full potential.

‘But if I focus on one, I could go even further.’

After all, what makes the Labyrinth so special?

It’s party play.

The best approach is for my party members to cover my weaknesses.

Even if my close-combat skills become slightly weaker, my allies can make up for it.

‘Maybe I should discuss it with them.’

I gave Volcan a nod and stepped outside.

Volcan watched as Yuseong walked away.

‘That guy’s a monster.’

Where the hell did he learn all that?

He had spoken about it so casually, but in reality, it was impossible.

Different races couldn’t learn each other’s secret techniques.

It was an absolute truth, like a law of the world.

Humans couldn’t master elven techniques.

Elves couldn’t master human techniques.

It had been an unshakable fact for hundreds of years.

‘And yet…’

That guy had mastered both elven and orcish techniques.

Of course, he couldn’t wield them with the same level of power as their original users.

He was simply too weak for that.

The orcish technique that could cut through anything.

The elven technique that could shatter everything.

Both were incredibly powerful.

Even Volcan wouldn’t be able to take a direct hit from them.

Maybe the Guild Master could manage… but even that wasn’t certain.

“Tsk.”

Volcan glanced at his palm.

He clicked his tongue.

A needless wound.

‘Trying to show off for no reason.’

He had deliberately taken that sword strike head-on.

That was the only reason his palm was injured.

“…… Monster of a guy.”

That was all there was to it.

After leaving the guild, I sat on a bench to gather my thoughts.

‘This actually works out well.’

Standing at the front had started to feel like a burden.

Sure, in an emergency, I’d step forward if needed.

But staying in the back, firing arrows, suited me much better.

‘Should I really focus on swordsmanship?’

That thought had been nagging at me since escaping from the Labyrinth.

From the party’s perspective, it made more sense for me to fight from the rear than to push forward.

We already had enough frontliners.

Starting with Erme, then Theresa, and even Rozanté—our vanguard was well covered.

The rear should be handled by Glasses and me.

That would be the ideal setup.

So my decision was clear.

Bows and arrows.

Setting traps.

Focusing on scouting and detection.

That would benefit the party the most.

And now, I had even learned how to make traps.

In the Labyrinth, while dealing with the goblin forces led by the Green Bone Horse.

I had set up traps using sharpened arrows to conserve as much stamina as possible.

‘Bows aren’t bad at all.’

To be honest, swordsmanship wasn’t really my style.

I preferred to toy with my enemies, making their lives miserable.

Focusing on archery was a good choice, but…

‘Is there something more?’

I felt like I was lacking as a thief.

There was something else I wanted to do.

What was a thief at their core?

A jack-of-all-trades.

They could shoot arrows, wield a sword, set traps, and gather intelligence.

Another way to describe a jack-of-all-trades?

A versatile character.

Since I was already considered a Thief Hero Candidate, aiming for versatility made the most sense.

With that in mind, I scanned the Labyrinth’s job request board.

There were requests for gathering rare materials from the Labyrinth.

Others involved escorting people safely through dangerous areas.

Various tasks were available, but for some reason, I found myself drawn to… medicinal herbs.

The herbs of the Labyrinth.

‘I have knowledge about them.’

Herbs…

And how they could become poisons depending on how they were used.

Poison.

‘Poison is incredibly useful if you know how to handle it.’

Paralytic poisons, sleep-inducing agents, corrosive toxins that could melt flesh on contact.

Thief’s Pinnacle had filled my mind with countless possibilities.

That settled it.

‘Let’s get my hands on some poison first.’

There were places that dealt in medicinal and poisonous herbs.

Since they were dangerous to humans, I probably wouldn’t be able to buy large quantities.

‘But even if they don’t have what I need… I know just the person who might.’

As I made my way to the black market, I recalled Jemsoui, the woman I had argued with alongside Erme.

From the way things felt, she seemed to be the owner of that place.

‘Might as well try getting what I need from her.’

I could also pick up some materials for traps while I was at it.

“So, what brings you here without that woman?”

That was the first thing I heard as soon as I stepped into the forge.

The same forge Erme and I had visited before.

According to Erme, the owner was a human who had earned the title of [Master Craftsman].

“I’d like to get my hands on some sharp bowstrings like last time.”

“You want those again?”

“They worked well for traps, so I found them quite useful.”

“Ah, you mean you want to use them like wire. Can’t say I’m surprised you’d think of something like that.”

The dwarf blacksmith was acting surprisingly familiar with me.

We hadn’t interacted much, but I didn’t particularly mind.

As long as I got good materials for a fair price, that was all that mattered.

“Follow me. I’ve got something for you.”

“For me?”

“Consider it a token of gratitude.”

“Gratitude?”

“Viola. You saved that kid, didn’t you?”

“……?”

“She’s from the family I work for. I craft equipment for them from time to time. I just wanted to thank you for saving her.”

How did things end up connecting like this?

Feeling a bit dazed, I followed him further inside.

“By the way, I overheard something. Your level is three?”

“…Yes.”

“Here, try touching this.”

He hadn’t been here long, yet he was already progressing at that speed…

That girl sure had a good eye for people.

“This is The Cradle for you.”

The dwarf blacksmith gestured toward a coil of wire resting on one side of the workshop.

The string looked incredibly sharp—so much so that an ordinary person might lose a hand just by touching it.

“…Isn’t this ridiculously dangerous?”

“You can handle it, can’t you?”

Well, probably.

I focused, activating Thief’s Pinnacle.

The ability flooded my mind with information.

At the same time, it granted me an incredible level of dexterity.

It was the reason I could shoot a bow so well.

The reason I could pull even the sharpest bowstrings without hesitation.

I carefully picked up the wire.

‘This is…’

A bit too dangerous.

Even I would have to be cautious while using it.

One wrong move, and I could lose a finger.

In other words…

‘It’s an excellent weapon.’

A double-edged sword.

No, it was closer to a cursed weapon.

I grinned.

“You’re really giving me this?”

“Judging by that smile, it looks like you like it. Take this too.”

The dwarf casually tossed me a dagger.

I caught it with ease and examined it.

A blade gleaming with a dark, obsidian sheen.

“…This looks expensive.”

“If you think of it as the price for that girl’s life, it’s a bargain.”

“Then I won’t refuse.”

If he put it that way, turning it down would only be rude.

I tucked the dagger inside my coat.

“Take this too. You’ll need a place to store that wire.”

“Thank you.”

“And this as well. You don’t seem to take proper care of your sword. A blade rusts quickly if not maintained.”

“…It’s in its sheath. You could tell just from that?”

“We’re called the Ironfolk for a reason.”

“Then I’ll gladly accept it.”

Even someone as shameless as me felt a little guilty about this.

“Judging by your face, you’re feeling a bit uneasy about getting so much for free.”

“Well, yeah.”

“Don’t think of it as a favor. This is an investment.”

His words caught my attention.

“Investment?”

“I’ve heard about what you did—not just for that kid. You’re the type to end up deep inside the Labyrinth sooner or later.”

“……”

“So when that happens, you’ll sell me any rare materials you find first. That’s the kind of investment this is.”

I accepted everything the dwarf handed me without hesitation.

“You take things pretty shamelessly, huh?”

“Well, refusing would be rude, wouldn’t it?”

The dwarf let out a hearty laugh.

“Hah! You’ve got a point.”

Then, as if it were an afterthought, he casually tossed out his name.

“The name’s Durin.”

“Han Yuseong.”

“Alright, then. Take care.”

With that, Durin disappeared into the back of the forge.

I stepped outside.

I slowly closed my eyes.

‘It’s about time to claim my reward.’

Main Quest.

When I uncovered the true identity of the Green Bone Horse that had taken over Marcel’s body…

I had come face to face with an Abyssal Entity.

It was time to collect my reward for that encounter.

[Main Quest – Chapter 2.]

You have encountered an Abyssal Entity.

He is a being with the qualifications of a Centurion.

You must either kill him or reclaim Marcel.

Reward: Marcel’s body + ???

Failure: No penalty.

[You have received one random Gift and a Gift Selection Ticket (B) as your reward.]

I looked at the quest log and chuckled.

It was basically telling me, “You’ve learned the basics. From here on out, figure it out yourself.”

‘Well, fine by me.’

I wasn’t interested in growing stronger just by blindly accepting whatever was handed to me.

Besides, I already had a decent grasp of the knowledge I needed.

‘And ever since I heard about it from that guy, there’s a certain combination I’ve been wanting to try…’

I pressed the [Complete Quest] button.

[Random Gift acquired: Elven Apothecary (A).]

“…Huh?”

[Gift: Elven Apothecary (A)]

◇ Grants the ability to distinguish between medicinal and poisonous herbs.

◇ As long as dexterity allows, enables the creation of all types of medicine and poison.

◇ Enhances all abilities related to apothecary skills.

I stared at the newly acquired Gift.

“Is this similar to alchemy?”

No… something about it felt different.

Just as I had that thought, a flood of knowledge slammed into my brain.

“Ugh.”

I staggered for a moment.

This sensation was always unpleasant, no matter how many times I experienced it.

But now, I knew exactly how to use this ability.

I headed to the general store and bought various medicinal and poisonous herbs.

Then, I returned to my room at the inn and began mixing them.

‘These ingredients are low-grade, so I doubt I’ll get anything too impressive.’

[Item Acquired]

Universal Blood Powder

◇ A poison that induces bleeding in the target.

“So this is how it works.”

I stared at the glass vial filled with a deep violet liquid.

Just in case, I also made an antidote.

After finishing that, I still had some time left.

So, I decided to use my skills for something else.

I headed to the inn’s kitchen.

“Excuse me, could I borrow the kitchen for a bit?”

“The kitchen? Why?”

“I felt like cooking for the first time in a while.”

“……”

“I’ll pay for all the ingredients.”

“Well, in that case, go ahead.”

I handed over three copper coins and got to work.

While preparing food alongside my poisons and antidotes, I noticed something strange.

‘The herbs absorbed my mana.’

To confirm my suspicion, I kept cooking.

And the result was exactly what I expected.

The ingredients in my dishes also absorbed my mana.

What came out in the end…

A simple tomato pasta.

“Oh? You can cook too?”

“Do I look like someone who can’t cook?”

Ignoring Erme’s comment, I twirled some pasta onto my fork and took a bite.

“Oh.”

It was surprisingly good.

The food here had always tasted a bit bland, but for some reason, my dish had an explosion of umami.

I wasn’t sure what caused it, but the flavor was intense.

“What? Your expression just changed completely. How good is it? Let me have a bite too!”

“Here.”

I handed her the fork I had been using.

Erme stared at me with a strange expression for a moment before huffing, grabbing the fork, and twirling some spaghetti onto it.

She took a bite.

…Then proceeded to eat the entire plate.

“H-Hehe… It was just… way too delicious…”

“……”

“I-I’ll buy you something delicious later to make up for it!”

“Sure……”

The next day.

“…Damn musclehead swordsmen. I hope you all drop dead.”

“Hahaha! What are you saying? Hurry up and run!”

“Puhaha! A swordsman of your caliber is already this exhausted? Have you been neglecting your stamina training?”

No, you two are the monsters here.

I glared at Burkan and Volcan as they teamed up to torment me.