Kali — Part 2
The first task I gave Kali was to hide in a wardrobe.
Her expression was one of utter confusion.
“Hide? In the wardrobe?”
“That’s right. Squeeze yourself in between the clothes. You’ll eat, sleep, and do everything in there. Even the bathroom business.”
For waste, she could use magic chips.
They’re commonly used by assassins and are a must-have for soldiers on extended operations. It would suffice for the few days required to unlock her trait.
The ambassador, who had been listening, furrowed his brow.
“Do you really believe someone can become a superhuman like this?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Hah! Then, by that logic, all the children in India who play hide-and-seek in closets should be superhumans by now.”
“It’s different for everyone. You should know that better than anyone, Ambassador.”
“Know what?”
“There’s a scarecrow courtyard in your hometown’s Kali Temple, isn’t there? It’s meant for hide-and-seek.”
It’s mentioned in Kali’s personal quest.
That’s where both Kali’s grandmother and Kali herself acquired certain traits.
Kalaratri, which ended with Kali’s grandmother, was once a flourishing martial art with hundreds of successors at its peak. But over time, it dwindled—through colonization, the Sepoy Rebellion, World Wars, and the India-Pakistan conflicts—leaving only Kali’s grandmother as its last practitioner.
“Well, yes, that’s true, but…”
“Since you’ve entrusted her to me, I’d appreciate it if you trusted my methods.”
“Hmph…”
The ambassador shook his head, clearly dissatisfied.
At that, his wife tugged on his arm.
“Let’s go home.”
“What? And leave Kali here?”
“She has a good teacher now, so we should leave her in his hands.”
“This is ridiculous! Kali is still so young!”
“She needs to start preparing early if she wants to be a superhuman. She’s already late.”
“She hasn’t even started high school yet!”
“And whose fault is that? If you had been honest from the start… Sigh, a descendant of a god… If you had just come clean earlier, I wouldn’t have acted this way!”
The ambassador’s wife glared at him, her eyes practically sparking with flames.
He’s definitely going to get an earful when they get home.
Honestly, he went too far.
In a world where gods and demons freely walk the earth and mutants are everywhere, it’s inexcusable to keep your bloodline a secret, no matter how traumatic your experiences.
The ambassador was dragged out by his wife, leaving Kali truly alone now.
Kali clenched her fists with resolve and stepped into the wardrobe.
“Teacher, I just need to stay in here?”
“Yes. And while you’re at it, keep repeating to yourself, ‘I’m hiding,’ in your mind. That will speed things up.”
“This sounds familiar. Don’t assassins train like this?”
“Exactly.”
This was the method to obtain one of Kali’s starting traits: [Stealth].
I managed to acquire it quickly thanks to Baek Sorin.
I briefly considered giving Kali a Cloak of Concealment, but I decided against it.
Warrior Kim and Kali are fundamentally different.
Kali is an SSR-grade character.
If she’s not trained properly in alignment with her character background, it takes an incredibly long time to unlock traits.
It’s crucial to replicate her background and create a similar environment.
‘The Kali Temple had wardrobes, scarecrows, and all the rest…’
While I didn’t have scarecrows at home, I did have golems.
Security magic golems.
I set one to patrol in front of the wardrobe.
“How long do I have to stay in here?”
“Until you feel ready. The realization will come naturally.”
“How long do you think it’ll take?”
“Three days?”
“Three days?! That long?”
Three days is fast.
You’re SSR-grade, after all. It’s only because this is a starting trait that it’ll unlock so quickly. If it weren’t, even a month wouldn’t be enough.
I put a finger to my lips and made a “shh” sound.
Kali began her silent training.
She already looked restless, her lively personality showing signs of strain.
“Teacher, are you planning to train Kali as an assassin?”
“Not an assassin, but she’ll need similar psychic abilities.”
“Wow…”
“How did you know it’s assassin-related?”
“I’ve done something similar before.”
“You’ve tried everything, haven’t you?”
Didn’t she say she underwent mana induction and mana sensitivity training before?
Baek Sorin must’ve been really serious about becoming a superhuman.
Well, in this world, if you want to succeed, becoming a superhuman is the only option—unless your parents are exceptionally talented or have wealth and influence to push you forward.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I had no intention of wasting the three days.
While Kali was training, I sparred with Baek Sorin and Janet, pushing their limits, while also preparing for the next stage of training.
After an intense workout that left us drenched in sweat, I put on a popular idol fancam on the TV and started dancing.
Baek Sorin, who was sipping on a drink to cool down, burst into laughter as she watched me.
“Haha, Teacher! What is that supposed to be?”
[Giant’s Strength], [Vajra Body], [Undying].
[Tiger King Sword Technique], [Weapon Master], [Close-Combat Mastery].
With my current state and no related traits, even I had to admit my movements were stiff, like a creaky tin doll.
‘Why is it that even with higher levels, I still look like this?’
This is the limitation of an N-tier character.
No matter how much I level up, my character’s limitations are painfully evident.
Still, I danced with determination.
Unable to watch any longer, Baek Sorin joined in, correcting a few of my movements. Thanks to her, my dancing became somewhat decent.
And I acquired a trait.
Acquired the trait: [Dance].
This is another trait Kali needs to acquire after [Stealth].
I could leave her to dance alone, but it’s much more effective if she inherits it from someone.
Once I equipped the [Dance] trait and danced smoothly, Baek Sorin looked at me like she couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Teacher, you learn incredibly fast! I thought it would take you at least a month based on your first attempt.”
“Well, I’m just built like that.”
“You could even debut as a professional dancer!”
Actually, there’s a warrior build that uses the [Dance] trait.
It’s commonly referred to as the “Battle Dancer.”
Though I rarely used it.
Rather than enhancing oneself directly, the build focuses on buffing allies and debuffing enemies.
But I’ve always preferred builds where I directly grow stronger.
‘Kalaratri combined traits of an assassin, a dancer, and a psychic.’
[Stealth], [Dance], and [Slow] were the foundational traits.
When combined with Kali’s unique trait, [Blood of the Goddess], they would evolve into entirely new traits over time.
Time passed.
I danced, sparred with Baek Sorin and Janet, and made preparations for the third stage of training by ordering a few items.
Money wasn’t an issue.
I still had plenty left over from the inheritance war with the Geumo Group.
The construction work, however, I did myself.
As I began building a special training facility in the garden, Baek Sorin and Janet curiously peeked over.
“What’s this?”
“It looks weird.”
“Oh, I’ve seen something like this on TV! Isn’t it something soldiers use?”
At first glance, it looked similar.
It resembled the obstacle courses used in military ranger training.
But the interior was entirely different.
The core of the course lay in the magic chips embedded throughout the obstacles.
It was impossible to clear this course using normal methods.
“Teacher!”
Roughly a day had passed when I heard a voice calling me from the bedroom where the wardrobe was.
“I-I think I’ve done it!”
“Really? Congratulations.”
“Huh? Teacher? Why are you talking to thin air?”
Baek Sorin looked at me oddly as I spoke into the empty space.
Then, Kali emerged with a broad smile.
“How was it?”
“W-Whoa?!”
Baek Sorin and Janet were genuinely shocked.
Their eyes widened, and Baek Sorin smacked her own knee in realization.
“[Stealth]! That’s [Stealth], right? I’ve heard of it before!”
“That’s right. But it’s more effective than I expected.”
“R-Really? This is my first time using it, so…”
Typically, [Stealth] only reduces your presence.
It doesn’t render you completely invisible.
There’s no way someone could stand right in front of you, as Kali just had, and not be noticed.
I activated my Insight Vision and observed Kali.
[Blood of the Goddess] [Stealth]
It was still just [Stealth].
The raw, unevolved form.
However, the [Blood of the Goddess] was clearly already influencing it.
I nodded with approval.
“Well done. You’re doing great. Let’s move on to the next stage.”
“C-Can’t I rest for a bit?”
“You can rest after you awaken. Kali, what’s my teaching style again?”
“S-Spartan style…”
“Good. Then you know what to expect.”
I resisted the urge to whisper “This is Sparta” into her ear. That movie doesn’t exist in this world, after all.
I turned on an idol dance fancam I’d been watching for the past day.
“This time, it’s dance.”
“Dance? I’ve never danced before…”
“No problem. Talent runs in your blood.”
As a descendant of a god, Kali was essentially a high priestess of her lineage.
The Kali cult didn’t revere their goddess with rituals and songs—they celebrated her with dances and war.
Just as it had taken only a day for her to awaken [Stealth], it wouldn’t take long for her to master dance, either.
I immediately started bending my body into motion.
At first, Kali stumbled awkwardly, her movements stiff and jerky. But soon, she began copying me and the idol on the screen.
And then, she surpassed me.
Her dancing grew so graceful, it was as though the idol from the screen had stepped into reality.
This is why SSR-grade characters are a class above the rest.
While trait evolution is overpowered, even their starting traits make them incomparable to others.
“You’re amazing, Kali!”
“That was incredible!”
It seemed her trait would awaken sooner than expected.
Just as I had anticipated.
After five consecutive hours of dancing, Kali’s movements subtly changed.
Sharper.
Clearer.
More dazzling.
With Insight Vision, I could see a faint seed of a magic circuit forming inside her.
“Well done. That’s enough for now. Take a break, and we’ll continue tomorrow.”
“H-Hnnngh…”
Kali collapsed to the floor, her face pale.
“I-Is it always this hard to become a superhuman?”
“This? This is nothing. Sorin, tell her about your awakening.”
“Kali, this is really easy. When I awakened, I got bitten by zombies dozens of times.”
“Z-Zombies?! Why?!”
“To awaken my traits…”
That’s why Baek Sorin started with the [Indomitable] trait.
Without it, she wouldn’t have made SSR-grade. She would’ve ended up as an SR-grade Heavenly Killing Star at best.
Janet chimed in as well.
“I had to run all day.”
“Run? For how long?”
“Fifteen hours. I ran non-stop for as long as I was awake.”
“W-What? Didn’t you collapse?”
“Nope. My body was overflowing with mana, so I didn’t collapse. Then I ate until I felt like throwing up.”
“What?”
“I was required to eat ten servings of food at a time and used mana to force myself to digest it. Teacher helped me with that part.”
“Right. Remember when you were training and sparring back then?”
“Yes, I got beaten up a lot.”
Did she?
Well, that was unavoidable. It was part of her Vajra Body training.
Janet’s innate qi was extremely weak at the time.
I had to feed her, push her to her limits, and even hit her repeatedly.
Hearing it explained this way makes me sound like a villain running an abusive training camp.
What choice did I have?
That’s the only way Janet could become an SSR-grade psychic.
Leaving her as an SR-grade superhuman wasn’t an option.
Kali’s body trembled.
“So I really did have it easy…”
Of course.
Spending one day locked in a wardrobe and dancing for five hours straight is nothing compared to being bitten by zombies or undergoing borderline abusive training.
Baek Sorin studied Kali for a moment before turning to me.
“Teacher, is dancing a trait too?”
“It can be.”
“But lots of people who aren’t superhumans are great dancers.”
“When combined with mana, it becomes a trait. Without mana, it’s just a normal skill. The important thing is whether you can channel mana into your dance. Even people who aren’t superhumans can develop mana circuits for dancing.”
“What can you do with dance? I can’t even imagine.”
Why was she asking this?
The Dancer build is well-known for its expertise in buffs and debuffs. That’s common knowledge.
But all three of them were looking at me with curious eyes.
They acted as if they’d never even heard of the Dancer build.
Seeing their reactions, I realized something.
‘These kids don’t really know much about superhumans.’
And it made sense when I thought about it.
Knowledge is power.
In this world, physical strength directly translates to authority.
Even if the internet is a vast ocean of information, reliable and accurate knowledge is rare.
Just as one issue buries another, an overload of information obscures the truth.
Without proper education, access to knowledge is inherently limited.
“You all know about Word of Command, right?”
“Of course! It’s when someone says, ‘Do this!’ and you’re forced to obey, right?”
“Exactly. The trait for Word of Command is derived from singing. If you awaken and evolve a song-related trait, it becomes Word of Command.”
“Huh? I thought that was only a priest ability.”
“That’s why most of them come from choir backgrounds.”
“Oh…”
“Dancing is similar to singing. If you evolve a dance-related trait, it becomes Divine Dance. With Divine Dance, you can twist the laws of the world or summon spirits and demons to achieve various effects.”
“That’s amazing.”
“I’ve never heard of this before.”
“So, does that mean I’ll be able to use this Divine Dance ability someday?”
I shook my head.
“No. You shouldn’t awaken Divine Dance.”
“Why not?”
“Because there’s something better suited for you.”
Kali is one of the top three warriors in her class.
Why would I ever turn her into a buffer or debuffer?
Giving Kali Divine Dance would be like modifying a golden goose to lay silver eggs. A complete waste of potential.
I pointed toward the guest room.
“Get some rest today. Tomorrow’s going to be tough.”
“Uh… The way you say that makes me really scared…”
“Stay strong.”
“Teacher’s training may be Spartan, but at least he makes sure you awaken quickly. It’s better than spending months trying to awaken and failing, isn’t it?”
“I guess that’s true…”
Kali wobbled as she headed toward the guest room.
My house, which was practically a mansion, had no shortage of guest rooms.
It seemed Baek Sorin and Janet had decided to sleep in the same room as Kali.
I could hear them chatting away for a while, their voices reaching outside the room, before everything eventually went quiet.
The next morning.
I was already at the obstacle course.
I was almost fully armed.
Black Tiger Sword and Mjolnir hung at my waist.
My twin pistols were secured in their holsters, a shotgun was slung across my back, and I held a sniper rifle in both hands, checking its condition.
Clack!
The sound of a round being chambered echoed as I completed the loading process.
Just then, Baek Sorin came out and raised an eyebrow at me.
“Teacher? What are you doing?”
“Getting ready for training. Where’s Kali?”
“She’s on her way.”
Kali appeared moments later, looking remarkably refreshed after just a day of rest.
Standing at the edge of the obstacle course, I gave her a simple explanation of the training method.
“Kali, today’s task is simple. You’ll keep running this course over and over until you awaken your third trait.”
“What about breaks?”
“I’ll decide and give you some when appropriate.”
“Haa…”
She sighed already, and we hadn’t even gotten to the main part yet.
I raised the sniper rifle in my hands and said,
“But just completing the obstacle course isn’t enough for you to awaken. That’s why I’ll be giving you a little help.”
“A little help? Why does that sound ominous…”
“You’re going to shoot her, aren’t you?”
Baek Sorin’s intuition was sharp as ever.
Janet, standing next to her, burst into laughter, waving her hand dismissively.
“Come on. There’s no way Teacher would go that far, right?”
Oh, but I would.
I absolutely would.
It might sting a bit, but hey.
She won’t die. Probably.
–TL Notes–
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