Trait Hoarder – Chapter 131

Seoul Terror — Part 1

The ground faintly trembled.

The air itself was screaming.

The sky, which had been dark just moments ago, was now dyed crimson.

Flames surged upward.

Chaos and panic descended upon the city like a hellish storm.

“Call 119! Someone call 119!”

“Bring my car!”

“Everyone, shut up! I said, shut up!”

The entire city seemed to be engulfed in flames.

I silently gripped the Black Tiger Sword.

Had Gu Hyeongwon reported to the Legion Commander in time?
Were the Tower Master and Seong Huiyeong making their moves?
And what about the Thor Church and the Gaia Church?

The thought of the situation that would become clearer with dawn filled me with dread.
I wanted to hop on Red Cougar right now and head straight to the President.

At this moment, there was no one more important than the President.

‘Right.’

I operated my smartphone.

Using the Magic Spirit Control App, I summoned Red Cougar.

With this, at least I had achieved basic mobility.

Bang!

In the midst of the chaos, a bomb went off.

Not just anywhere, but right at the embassy’s front gate.

The massive iron gate shattered into pieces, crushed by a magical explosion.

The honorary paladins, who had been panicking and running around, turned toward the gate in shock.

“What’s that?!”

“A bomb? It’s a bomb!”

“Damn it! Where’s my weapon? Where’s my weapon?!”

“C-crap!”

Unlike the embassy’s inner turmoil, there was no immediate response from the front gate.

The superhumans, emboldened by the silence, cautiously approached the gate.

Then, through the cloud of dust, the monsters emerged.

“Kwaaaah!”

“Kyaaaak!”

Beasts resembling humans.

No, more like oversized orangutans.

Their bare bodies were covered in tough, scaly skin.

Between the scales, a repulsive fluid oozed out, like blood mixed with pus.

Their faces resembled crocodiles.

From their cold, slit-like pupils, malice dripped like a crimson mist.

“Blood Demon Soldiers!”

Chadojun shouted in horror.

“Why are the soldiers of the Serpent God here?! You’d only find these guys in the depths of South America!”

They were soldiers created by one of the ancient evil gods that once ruled the New World.

Humans who had been offered as sacrifices were modified into soldiers who served directly under the Winged Serpent.

And now, these beings had resurfaced, crossing hundreds of years to reappear here.

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the Blood Demon Soldiers.

Everything was happening exactly as it had before.

Episode 1: Seoul Terror.

Boom!

I stomped on the ground with all my might.

Using Aerial Assault, I launched myself into the air.

Without stopping there, I used an Air Leap, then a Geumo Leap, and finally Air Dash, propelling myself downward.

Bam!

At the moment of impact, I activated [Shield Bash], slamming into the Blood Demon Soldier at the very front.

The sound of bones breaking echoed loudly.

No, it was more like the sound of flesh bursting apart.

The Blood Demon Soldier didn’t just collapse—it exploded.

It was as if a bomb had been placed inside its stomach and detonated, turning its entire body into chunks of meat that scattered in every direction.

“Guhk?”

“Kuhhng?”

The Blood Demon Soldiers, who had been charging in fiercely, suddenly froze in place.

Even they had never seen such a sight before.

These creatures were far sturdier than ordinary humans or even warrior-class superhumans.

Though the mass-produced, lowest-tier Blood Demon Soldiers were only Level 3, they were far from pushovers.

Yet one of them had been crushed like soft tofu. It was only natural for them to be stunned.

“Hmph.”

This was the power I had built up over time.

Launching myself with Aerial Assault, switching to real combat techniques at the moment of impact—it was all part of my skillset.

From the moment I confronted the Blood Demon Soldiers, victory had already been decided.

Swish! Swish!

I didn’t let my guard down just because I’d taken out one.

I unleashed a storm of relentless strikes.

Equipping my Swordsmanship Expert skill and using my real combat expertise, I swung my sword according to the Tiger King Sword Technique.

Flashes of light erupted.

Crescent-shaped arcs cut through the air.

Sword Qi blossomed like petals in bloom.

“Kraaagh!”

“Guhh!”

“Keeaak!”

Their confident charge had become meaningless.

The Blood Demon Soldiers were swept away without resistance.

For beings once hailed as the soldiers of a god, their helplessness was almost pitiful.

Seeing this, the morale of the superhumans behind me surged.

“Charge!”

“Kill them all!”

“These vile creatures! How dare they defy the glory of Lord Shiva!”

“Fight for Thor!”

“For Valhalla!”

“For the glory of Gaia!”

“Amaterasu-sama!”

“Osiris shall return!”

“Lady Mama Quilla! Grant me strength!”

The honorary paladins charged forward.

Each shouted the name of the god they served, surging toward the Blood Demon Soldiers.

Most of the people here had been invited as part of the Seven Major Churches.

To become an honorary paladin of one of the Seven Major Churches, being Level 3 was not enough.

Most were Level 5 or higher.

In a straightforward fight, Blood Demon Soldiers were no match for them.

However, if they let their guard down, they would become prey to the Blood Demon Soldiers.

Unlike the typical Blood Demon Soldiers of the evil gods, the ones attacking the embassy had a dangerous trait.

I raised my voice to warn them.

“These guys’ breath and blood contain mutagenic substances! If your resistance is weak, stay back!”

“Huh?”

“W-what?”

“Oh no, it’s true! My body is mutating!”

They carried an infection far more potent than that of zombies.

Just being near them could infect someone, transforming them into a Blood Demon Soldier.

And not just into any Blood Demon Soldier—into high-level ones.

A normal human would mutate into a Level 3 Blood Demon Soldier, but a Level 3 or 4 superhuman would become Level 4 or 5.

The infection’s limit was Level 6.

In the game, this was the reason the embassy had been reduced to rubble.

The mass mutations had turned the tide, and even the superhumans had fallen.

Bang! Bang!

“Die!”

I grabbed my shotgun and began firing.

Though it was technically rapid fire, every shot hit its mark.

I pulled the trigger 10 times, and 10 Blood Demon Soldiers exploded into bloody chunks.

This was thanks to the overlapping effects of the [Destruction] ability and the [Destruction] trait.

Adding to that, [Black Flame] also activated.

As the corpses were engulfed in black flames and writhed, a Nordic warrior wielding an axe raised his eyebrows.

“Brother! I thought you only wielded a sword, but you’re great with guns too. But as a man, why not finish them off with your sword? These creatures were once human, after all. We should send them off as humans.”

I shrugged as I reloaded my shotgun.

“I don’t see mutants as people.”

That’s how it had always been.

Even back when I dealt with that porcupine-headed mutant.
Before their transformation, there might have been room for pity.
But once they were fully mutated, I never hesitated to finish them off.

If anything, my hands shook more when I shot down Roe Deer’s gang.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Blood splattered all over me as I shot down more Blood Demon Soldiers.

The Nordic warrior, wiping the blood off his face furiously, stepped back.

“Ugh, this won’t do. I’ll get my beautiful priestess wife to purify me and come back.”

“Suit yourself.”

He’s married to a priestess?

Well, I suppose that makes sense. The priests of the Thor and Gaia Churches are allowed to marry freely.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I switched my shotgun into sniper mode and fired a few precise shots.

Hiding in the dust behind the gate was another Blood Demon Soldier.

It had a thinner, more wiry build than the others, likely a special variant.

It had concealed itself using stealth traits.

But it wasn’t enough to escape the sight of my Bright Eyes trait.

“Kyaaaak!”

“Grrrrk!”

With pitiful cries, the creature collapsed to the ground.

And with that, the situation was resolved.

Not a single Blood Demon Soldier that attacked the embassy was left alive—they’d all been reduced to piles of meat.

“Wow…”

“Huh…”

“This is the Black Tiger Swordmaster… the man recognized by the Legion Commander…”

I felt the heavy weight of their reverent gazes.

It was only natural.

I had taken out nearly half the Blood Demon Soldiers by myself.

I was drenched in blood, breathing in their foul stench, yet my expression hadn’t changed a bit.

“Brother, seems like things are wrapped up here, don’t they?”

The Nordic warrior, shaking off his axe, approached me.

“I need to head to the Thor Temple. My son is there. Judging by this situation, it seems this wasn’t the only place under attack.”

“Go ahead. The entire city of Seoul is likely under assault.”

“The end times are upon us, truly. What about you, brother? Got somewhere to be?”

“I’m checking on the ambassador and his wife first.”

“Ah.”

The Nordic warrior’s face lit up with realization.

“Of course, those bastards wouldn’t have entered through just the front gate. Let’s go together!”

Before I could even respond, he was already charging ahead with a grunt.

The other superhumans weren’t far behind.

Beep beep! Beep!

Some quickly summoned their flying cars and took to the air, while others sprinted toward the parking lot.

A few followed the Nordic warrior as he rushed into the embassy.

Meanwhile, the ordinary citizens were frozen in confusion, unsure of what to do.

Chadojun approached me, his face pale as a sheet.

“M-Black Tiger Swordmaster… what should we do?”

“For now, it’s safer to stay here than to leave. No more monsters should come.”

“A-and if more do come…”

“In that case, talk to the embassy staff and get yourself a gun.”

I cut him off coldly.

No matter how handsome he was or how famous a celebrity he might be, I didn’t have time to babysit Chadojun.

Not when Kali was still inside.

And not when my disciples were waiting for me.

[Einherjar Cultivation Technique] [Mana Core] [Aerial Assault]
[Swift] [Dash] [Mobility]

I poured my points into mana-based and movement-based traits.

My body became as light as a feather, and power surged within me.

I unleashed it all.

Flash!

Was it just my imagination?

It felt like lightning crackled around me.

The mana radiating from me propelled me forward, leaving an electric glow in its wake.

In an instant, I crossed the large garden.

By the time I opened my eyes, I was already at the embassy.

‘If I do this right, I might be able to create a Lightning trait.’

I had the Mana Core and mobility traits already.

If I could gather acceleration and psychic traits as materials, I could create it whenever I wanted.

But that was a concern for later.

I entered the embassy through the open doors.

Bang bang bang!

Clang! Clash!

“Damn it, you bastards!”

“Move! I said MOVE!”

The lobby was absolute chaos.

Assassins clad in black were clashing with superhumans.

Guns spat fire, while swords and axes collided, sending sparks flying.

The Nordic warrior bellowed as he tried to push forward, but he seemed to be struggling.

An assassin wielding a spear-like weapon as red as blood was holding him back.

“Brother! Deal with this bastard!”

The Nordic warrior shouted as soon as he saw me.

There wasn’t even time for me to swing my sword.

I pulled out Mjolnir and hurled it.

Of course, I activated the Throw trait before tossing it.

Boom!

Mjolnir shot forward like it was being pulled by a magnet, heading straight for the assassin.

“Tch!”

The assassin narrowly dodged by twisting his body.

His form dissolved into shadow, reappearing in another location entirely.

It was a movement so fast, it was nearly akin to teleportation.

Though Mjolnir cleaved through empty air, the Nordic warrior was freed, and the path to the interior was wide open.

“Brother, thank yo—uh?”

I didn’t stop to listen to his thanks. I simply walked past him.

Mjolnir flew back to my waist like a magnet returning to its pole.

Now at the center of the assassins, I could have just moved on—but that would have been a waste.

I drew my dual pistols and unleashed a hail of bullets.

Bang bang bang bang!

“Gah!”

“Ugh!”

“Aaaagh!”

The attribute I’d chosen for the bullets was [Paralysis].

It was far more effective than stun rounds.

Resistance was nearly impossible.

As expected, the assassins froze stiff, their movements completely locked.

Even a single second of immobility in combat could be fatal.

Wherever I passed, assassins dropped like flies, painted in a storm of blood.

“Thank you for your help!”

“Osiris will be pleased!”

“May the blessings of Lord Shiva be upon you!”

I leapt high into the air and swapped my traits mid-flight.

As I hung in the air, I used Bright Eyes, Sixth Sense, and other sensory traits to scan ahead.

At the deepest part of the embassy—underground.

Near a massive iron door.

There stood the ambassador and his wife, along with a group of others, facing off against enemies.

‘This is bad!’

It was a scene I had seen in the game.

Rendered only in shadow back then, but now playing out in vivid detail.

I couldn’t be late.

Even the slightest delay could mean the death of the ambassador and his wife!

In the game, they had somehow survived, but if they died here?

Who knew how Kali would react?

Boom!

I sprinted with everything I had.

No, it wasn’t even a sprint—it felt like low-altitude flight.

I charged forward, breaking through the air like a missile.

Shockwaves were forming with each step.

As I passed by a porcelain vase, it shattered into pieces.

When I twisted my body near a window, cracks spidered across the glass.

I sprinted down the emergency staircase.

Faster.

And faster.

In just a few minutes, I reached the lowest level of the basement.

When I rammed into the final iron door blocking my path, it crumpled like paper and flew off, struck by the traits I had momentarily activated.

BOOOOM!

The resulting explosion echoed like a bomb had gone off.

Every pair of eyes turned toward me.

“Teacher!”

The first voices to greet me were Baek Sorin and Janet, calling out excitedly.

Neither of them was in perfect shape.

Their sword-wielding arms trembled slightly, and they were bleeding in several places.

But they were alive, and there didn’t appear to be any serious injuries.

That was enough.

“Hmph.”

Still rookies.

The superhuman they were facing didn’t miss the moment when they looked my way.

With a sneer, he unleashed a burst of mana.

His axe flared with a crimson glow as it swung toward the two of them.

“Aaagh!”

“Kyah!”

Baek Sorin, who tried to dodge, and Janet, who braced herself with her shield, were both sent flying like bowling pins struck by a ball.

The impact was enough to guarantee at least one broken bone.

I glanced at them briefly before shifting my focus away.

The situation was far too urgent to spare any more attention for my students.

“Die!”

The superhuman swung his axe again.

There was no one left to block it.

The bodyguards lay sprawled on the ground, bleeding profusely.

Whatever had gone wrong, the special bodyguard who, in the game, had defended the ambassador and his wife to the end was nowhere to be seen.

The axe descended.

Between the bloodstains caked on its blade, the edge glinted ominously.

And through that edge, a face came into view.

A face frozen in terror, with wide, fearful eyes.

The face of none other than the Indian ambassador.

There was no stopping it. I was too late.

There was only one way.

Gripping Mjolnir, I whispered.

“I trust you.”

Crackle!

Mjolnir responded with a flash of lightning.

At the same time, a new sensation blossomed within me.

It felt as though Mjolnir had become a part of my body, an extension of myself.

Like a new sensory organ, it seemed to scan the space around me in meticulous detail.

The air splitting sharply, the hair brushing past my skin, the bead of sweat falling and evaporating—it all painted a vivid image in my mind.

Acquired the trait: [Empathic Vision].

A specialized enhancement trait, perfect for divine weapons like Mjolnir or Aegis.

BOOM!

Thanks to it, I was able to save the Indian ambassador.

The lightning storm unleashed by Mjolnir didn’t scatter randomly; it focused entirely on the front.

It struck only the axe, only the superhuman wielding it, again and again!

“Guhhh!”

He was a Level 5 superhuman, the same level as me.

But in terms of combat prowess, the difference was like heaven and earth.

And after being hit by a barrage of lightning bolts…

I arrived in front of him.

As a swordsmanship expert, I drew the Black Tiger Sword in a single motion.

A white line sliced through the air.

The Black Tiger Sword passed cleanly through his neck.

The superhuman’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He tried to say something, his lips moving silently, but no sound came out.

Swish!

A delayed slicing sound echoed, and his head rolled to the ground.

The assassin and attacker who had neutralized the ambassador’s bodyguards and even incapacitated Baek Sorin and Janet?

None of that mattered.

Not in front of me.

Within seconds, his neck had been severed.

–TL Notes–
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