CLWU 02

Chapter 2

“……”

My hand stopped.

Thinking I had read it wrong, I read the sentence several times.

But the information did not change.

It could synthesize all items.

And it even added positive enhancements.

‘What is this?’

My heart began pounding violently.

If this item really worked exactly as described—

It wasn’t merely a piece of junk.

It might even be a treasure that had never existed before in this world.

“Hey.”

Boom.

Lee Jung-ho slammed his greatsword against the floor.

“What are you staring at for so long? Don’t tell me you’re going to start picking and choosing what to buy after saying you’d buy everything.”

I put down the basket and forced myself to look as calm as possible.

“I do buy everything.”

“Then calculate everything by weight.”

I looked at the piles of stones on the counter.

I couldn’t let them take advantage of me again.

But I absolutely had to get my hands on the Goblin Basket.

“I’m excluding the stone fragments.”

“What?”

“I told you last time. I can’t buy stones like these.”

Lee Jung-ho’s face twisted.

Bang!

His kick made the display shelf shake violently.

“You bought them last time!”

“I’ll pay the highest price for the other items instead.”

“You little…”

His hand shot toward me.

Even though I saw it coming, I couldn’t dodge.

He grabbed me by the collar and lifted me off the ground.

“Ghk!”

“Making trouble for people when you’re nothing but a worthless specimen.”

Thwack!

His fist slammed into my solar plexus.

My breath caught, and my vision went white.

“Cough, cough…”

My body crashed onto the floor.

Rage surged through me.

But I had no strength.

I couldn’t beat him in my current state.

And that was precisely why—

‘I have to get this basket.’

There was no way I was going to hand a treasure over to trash like these bastards.

“All right.”

I stood up while suppressing my cough.

“I’ll calculate everything by weight.”

“You should’ve done that from the start.”

I put even the stone fragments onto the scale.

“That makes one gold and twenty silver.”

“Good.”

They pocketed the money with satisfied expressions.

“See you next time, Worthless.”

“Why do you keep calling him that? He has a name.”

Cha Hye-ryeon added with a smile.

“See you next time, Scrap Metal.”

Only after the three of them disappeared did Johnson, who had been hiding in the back of the store, cautiously emerge.

“Ahem. You took quite a beating.”

‘This old man, too…’

“I heard they’ve been making the Summoned Ones compete against each other based on their achievements these days. I suppose they’re even going this far. Tsk, tsk.”

His words barely registered in my ears.

My eyes were fixed solely on the Goblin Basket.

“Boss.”

“What?”

“I’ll buy those items myself.”

“What?”

“I got taken advantage of because I failed to handle the customer properly. I’ll take responsibility.”

If he was thinking about his employee who had just been assaulted, he should have stopped me.

But Johnson was different.

“Ahem. If you insist on taking responsibility, then fine. Still, I’ll take a twenty-silver loss.”

He really was a miser.

“Thank you.”

Even if I sold all the junk, it wouldn’t amount to one gold, but I didn’t care.

The Goblin Basket alone was enough.

“Then I’ll leave work early today.”

“Sure. You took quite a beating, so take the day off.”

I swept the junk items into a sack.

I naturally slipped the basket inside as well.

I kept my expression as calm as possible on the outside.

But the moment I left the store, my heart began pounding like crazy.

‘It can synthesize all items.’

What on earth could it synthesize?

Could I turn junk into better items?

Or even artifacts?

Then I suddenly remembered the two worthless Ability Stones I had seen that morning.

Mental Split.

Forced Multiple Contracts.

Their abilities themselves were powerful, but they were considered useless because of their fatal penalties.

But what if—

Just what if—

I could extract only the advantages from those two Ability Stones and combine them?

“……This is insane.”

A laugh escaped me without realizing it.

It had been a year since I had fallen into this world.

For the first time, a genuine opportunity might have appeared before me.

---

“Char. You’re early today.”

As soon as I entered the Jerik Martial Arts Academy, a burly giant turned his head.

It was Jerik, the master of the martial arts academy and a former adventurer.

He was my benefactor—the man who had taken in a half-starved beggar, accepted the tiny amount of money I could pay for martial arts training, and even given me a room to stay in.

‘Char’ was the nickname the people here had given me because they couldn’t properly pronounce the name Cheol-woo.

“Yes. Something happened at the store.”

“Something?”

Jerik’s gaze shifted toward the sack hanging from my shoulder.

“Did that old miser Johnson make you work at home too?”

“Something like that.”

“That miser is really grinding people down.”

Thanks to Johnson’s usual behavior, it was easy enough to make excuses.

“What about tonight’s training?”

“I’m taking the day off.”

“You?”

Jerik narrowed his eyes.

I hadn’t missed a single training session in six months, even when I was sick, so his suspicion was understandable.

I tapped the sack.

“I have to sort through some things.”

“…Fine. But tomorrow, you’re doing double.”

“Yes.”

Avoiding Jerik’s gaze, I entered the small room tucked away in a corner of the martial arts academy.

It was a rented room with barely functional locks, but it was the first space of my own I had obtained since falling into this world.

Click.

As soon as I closed the door, I dropped the sack onto the floor.

Rattle, rattle.

Broken bone knives, goblin tableware, pieces of leather, dried-up mushrooms, and gravel spilled out.

And among them—

The unimpressive bamboo basket appeared.

[Goblin Basket]

[A basket capable of synthesizing all items.]

[Synthesized items have a high probability of receiving positive enhancements.]

No matter how many times I checked, the description remained the same.

“A basket that can synthesize all items…”

If it really worked exactly as described, it was an incredible item.

But I couldn’t blindly trust the system’s description.

My trait didn’t even have a rank.

The item I had discovered using that trait was also Rankless.

‘Let’s experiment first.’

I picked up the item that had the least value.

[Labyrinth Gravel]

[Hard.]

I put two stones into the basket.

Tap. Tap.

Then I waited.

“……”

Nothing happened.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

Then—

Flash.

A tiny light flickered between the gaps in the bamboo.

“It worked!”

I hurriedly opened the lid.

There was only one piece of gravel inside the basket.

[Labyrinth Gravel]

[Hard.]

“…What?”

Two had become one, but the description was unchanged.

“Did one of them just disappear?”

Disappointment rose within me, but at least I had proven that the basket wasn’t an ordinary item.

This time, I put the newly created gravel together with another piece.

Flash.

Again, they became one.

[Labyrinth Gravel]

[Hard.]

No change.

I put another piece of gravel inside.

Flash.

[Labyrinth Gravel]

[Hard.]

“Let’s see who gives up first.”

Nearly half of the junk I had brought back was gravel.

I began putting the stones in one after another without stopping.

Flash.

Another flash.

The gravel continued merging into a single piece, but there was no obvious change.

‘Maybe it’s gotten a little smoother.’

It was probably just my imagination.

After I had merged more than ten pieces of gravel—

Flash.

[Labyrinth Gravel]

[Very Hard.]

“Oh.”

One word had changed.

But that one word was important.

Repeated synthesis increased the quality.

I immediately looked for another item.

I found a bone spoon smaller than my palm and a bone fork with its tip broken off.

I put both into the basket.

Flash.

[Goblin Spork]

A strange utensil appeared, with the tines of the fork attached to the end of the spoon.

“They can combine like this too?”

It wasn’t simply a matter of one of the two items remaining.

If the items had similar uses, their functions themselves could be combined.

This time, I put two broken bone knives inside.

One had an intact handle, while the other had a relatively undamaged blade.

Flash.

[Goblin Bone Knife]

[A bone knife in complete condition. Relatively sharp.]

Only the intact parts of the handle and blade had been combined.

The same thing happened with the scraps of old leather.

The torn portions disappeared, and the more I synthesized them, the tougher the leather became.

‘Does it preserve the advantages?’

I began putting every piece of junk I had brought back into the basket.

The dried mushrooms combined with each other.

But a mushroom that was less dried and still had some life in it wouldn’t synthesize.

Items made of the same material had a high chance of reacting, while items made from different materials did not react.

Even if two items looked similar, they wouldn’t synthesize if their uses or properties were significantly different.

After several dozen experiments, I was able to figure out the general rules.

First.

Only items with similar materials or properties could be synthesized.

Second.

Living creatures could not be synthesized.

Third.

Repeated synthesis could repair damaged parts or increase quality.

Fourth.

Items with similar functions could sometimes have their individual advantages combined.

“So putting junk in doesn’t just make an artifact pop out.”

I was a little disappointed.

But it wasn’t enough to make me lose hope.

Being able to turn ten pieces of trash into one usable item was already valuable enough.

More importantly—

‘Functions and advantages can be combined.’

I remembered the two Ability Stones I had seen that morning.

[Mental Split]

It divided the consciousness into five, but caused multiple personalities to manifest.

[Forced Multiple Contracts]

It allowed contracts with four lowest-grade spirits, but imposed a severe penalty on other uses of mana.

Both abilities had clear advantages and disadvantages.

What if the basket worked on Ability Stones too?

The ability to divide one’s consciousness and the ability to contract multiple spirits might be combined.

There was even a possibility that their fatal penalties could be removed or weakened.

“This is insane.”

I couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of ability the result would be.

I wanted to run straight back to the general store.

But I managed to stop myself.

‘If I go back now and ask for those Ability Stones, he’ll get suspicious.’

I had appraised trash that no one wanted to buy, and then suddenly decided I wanted to purchase them on the same day.

Johnson might be blinded by money, but he wasn’t stupid.

Especially since he knew that I could see hidden information about Ability Stones.

‘I’ll buy them tomorrow.’

I couldn’t tell anyone what this basket really was.

Not even Jerik, despite being my benefactor.

Even if he didn’t betray me, if a single word leaked outside, it would be over.

In this world, the fact that a powerless person possessed a treasure was practically a crime.

“Phew…”

Even as I tried to suppress my excitement, my hands trembled.

This was the first time since falling into this world.

It felt as though a path that I had thought was completely beyond my reach through sheer effort had suddenly appeared right before me.

Knock, knock.

“Char.”

Jerik’s voice came from outside the door.

“Evening training is starting.”

“I told you I was taking the day off.”

“I know.”

“Then why…”

“You sounded excited, so I figured you’d cause trouble if I let you rest.”

He was exactly right.

I glanced at the basket and the junk items for a moment before quickly covering them with a cloth.

“I’m coming.”

I felt like I needed to push my body to its limits just to calm down this excitement.

The next day.

I arrived at the general store earlier than usual.

“The sun must be rising in the west today.”

Johnson glanced at me over his monocle.

“Do you have a problem even when I arrive early?”

“You arriving early is suspicious.”

I ignored him and began cleaning and arranging the shelves.

But my thoughts were completely occupied by the two Ability Stones sitting on one side of the display case.

The hours passed without a single customer.

After lunch.

Only when the sun was beginning to sink toward the west did I cautiously bring it up.

“Boss.”

“What?”

“Sell me those Ability Stones.”

Johnson’s hand stopped.

“What?”

“The two worthless Ability Stones I appraised yesterday.”

The old man’s eyes sharpened.

“Why?”

It was the question I had expected.

“After what those bastards did to me yesterday, I changed my mind.”

I pressed the bruise that remained on my solar plexus.

The pain meant I didn’t even have to fake my anger.

“At this rate, I’ll spend my entire life being treated as a worthless specimen and die that way. Even if there are side effects, I’m going to gain power.”

“…Are you certain about the information you appraised?”

“Are you doubting me now?”

I raised my voice, and Johnson subtly averted his gaze.

“No. It’s just that you suddenly decided you wanted to buy them.”

“If you don’t trust me, take them to the Magic Tower and have them appraised again.”

“That’ll cost…”

“Forget it. I’ll find them somewhere else.”

I took off my apron and threw it onto the counter.

“And I’m quitting as of today.”

“What?”

“How can I work for an employer who doesn’t even trust my appraisal results?”

“No, wait! If you suddenly quit, how am I supposed to find a replacement?!”

Panic appeared on Johnson’s face.

Apparently, he had only just remembered that I was a cheap employee who could appraise general goods and would quietly watch the store even when there were no customers.

“I’ll sell them. I’ll sell them!”

“Give them to me at cost.”

“That’s a little…”

“Then I’ll quit.”

“One gold for both!”

Johnson shouted desperately.

That was half of my wages for six months.

It was expensive for a pair of worthless Ability Stones.

But normal low-grade Ability Stones cost more than ten times that amount.

“I’ll buy them.”

I took out the money I had saved and placed it on the counter.

Clink.

The coins disappeared, and the two Ability Stones fell into my hands.

Half of my entire fortune was gone.

I had no regrets.

Not yet.

“I’ll leave early today.”

“You’re coming tomorrow, right?”

“Probably.”

“What do you mean, probably?! I’ll raise your salary, so make sure you come!”

Instead of answering, I took the Ability Stones and left the store.

As soon as I entered a deserted alley, I pulled out the Goblin Basket from inside my clothes.

Then I put the two Ability Stones inside.

Tap. Tap.

‘Synthesize.’

The junk items had reacted within ten seconds.

I slowed my steps and looked down at the basket.

Ten seconds.

Twenty seconds.

One minute.

No light appeared.

‘Does it need more time?’

Given that Ability Stones were of a different value from ordinary junk, that was possible.

Clinging to that hopeful thought, I walked all the way to the martial arts academy.

But the basket never lit up.

“Char. Why do you look like that?”

Jerik asked at the entrance to the martial arts academy.

“It’s nothing.”

“Did someone hit you again?”

“I told you, it’s not that.”

After entering my room, I put the basket down on the floor.

The two Ability Stones were exactly as they had been.

‘Could it be that objects containing mana can’t be synthesized?’

Anxiety slowly crept up on me.

One hour.

Two hours.

Nothing happened.

“…Does it only work on junk?”

The strength drained from my legs.

Thud.

Half of my entire fortune.

It wasn’t just the money I had lost.

The time I had spent saving that money had disappeared too.

The time it would take me to acquire a proper Ability Stone had been pushed back by at least several months.

“Fuck…”

What hurt more than the thought that the basket wasn’t a treasure was the fact that I had allowed myself to hope for nothing.

A Rankless Trait.

A Rankless basket.

If I thought about it rationally, I should never have gotten my hopes up in the first place.

‘My money…’

Money was important.

I had learned that lesson painfully from a very young age.

When you have no money, it doesn’t just mean you can’t do what you want.

It means you can’t even do what you have to do.

My parents were the ones who taught me that.

With their lives.

And now, I had effectively thrown away money that was as precious as their lives.

“…Damn it.”

Just as I muttered bitterly—

Bang, bang.

“Char! Come out! It’s training time!”

Jerik knocked on the door.

“I’m going to rest today.”

“You rested yesterday.”

“I’m not feeling well.”

Bang!

The door opened.

Jerik entered the room and looked down at me.

“A healthy body houses a healthy mind.”

“My mind is healthy.”

“Don’t say that with a face like a rotting corpse.”

Jerik grabbed me by the back of my neck and dragged me outside.

“It’s training time.”

“Wait! It’s already nighttime! We don’t have training now!”

“Starting today, you’re in the special class.”

“There was no such class before!”

“I just created it.”

Before I had any chance to resist, I was dragged into the middle of the training grounds.

“Start with running!”

“Start!”

The boys and young men immediately began running.

I reluctantly followed behind them.

At first, all I could think about was the money I had lost and the basket.

But after running for more than an hour, I no longer had the energy to think.

“Your form is falling apart!”

Smack!

A pebble thrown by Jerik struck me in the forehead.

“Ghk!”

“Focus!”

‘I just lost everything because of a pebble, and now he’s throwing pebbles at me too?’

I cursed inwardly and kept running.

As soon as the running ended, I was given a training spear.

“Specialized class, position!”

The specialized class consisted of me alone.

“You only have a few things to do, right?”

“Two!”

“Say them!”

“Thrust and dodge!”

“If you perfect just those two things, you can survive the lower floors of the labyrinth. Begin!”

“Begin!”

I thrust the heavy training spear straight ahead.

Whoosh.

I put all my weight into the thrust in a single step.

Tap.

Then I retreated diagonally backward in two steps.

It was a movement I had repeated thousands of times over the past six months.

But today, I couldn’t concentrate.

‘My money.’

I thrust the spear.

‘Half of my entire fortune.’

I stepped backward.

‘I’ll have to work for another three months.’

Smack!

This time, the pebble struck my temple.

“Char! Watch the tip of the spear!”

“Yes!”

I gritted my teeth.

Right.

Let’s just consider this one big mistake.

I had fallen into this world with nothing but the clothes on my back and survived by begging.

I had learned a language in a city where I couldn’t even communicate with people, found a job, and trained every day for six months without taking a single day off.

If I was going to give up because I had lost a few months’ worth of money, I would have died a long time ago.

‘I can save it again.’

I thrust the spear.

‘I can still use the basket to synthesize junk.’

I stepped backward.

‘I’ll find another way to enter the labyrinth without an Ability Stone.’

I thrust again.

Whoosh.

The distracting thoughts gradually disappeared.

My feet.

My waist.

My shoulders.

My arms.

The tip of the spear.

There was only one point in my vision.

I put strength into my supporting leg.

Twisted my waist.

And instead of using only my arm, I pushed the spear forward with my entire body.

Boom!

A flash of blue light burst from the perfectly extended tip of the spear.

[1 Mana has been generated.]

[You have acquired the Mana Skill ‘Thrust.’]

“…What?”

For a moment, I felt as though something had been drained from my body, and my strength suddenly gave out.

The training spear slipped from my hand.

“Mana after only six months…”

I heard Jerik’s astonished voice.

“Well done, Char.”

Those were the last words I heard before my vision went completely black.