Trait Hoarder – Chapter 173

Nephilim Sword – Part 1

I quickly returned to the surface.

The Blood King was gone.

Apparently, he abandoned his position as President and went back to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

Ignoring the commotion within the Protector Alliance, I boarded the Sky Ship.

I had already secured enough supplies, including food and other necessities.

Unlike when I first arrived, I had no intention of sightseeing this time.

“Um, Teacher.”

As I watched Aachen fade into the distance, Janet approached me.

“What is it?”

“Well… there’s something I need to tell you…”

Janet hesitantly spoke up.

“This… the Nephilim Sword? I’m not sure how I should even begin teaching it to you.”

It wasn’t fully attuned to her yet, but she seemed to have grasped the basic concept.

That made sense.

The Nephilim Sword was entirely different from Mars Swordsmanship.

“Explain in detail.”

“I don’t know everything, but I think there are certain conditions required to learn this. Something like Innate Qi.”

She was right.

If Mars Swordsmanship required the Heavenly Killing Star, then the Nephilim Sword absolutely required the [Qi] trait.

There was another difference as well.

Mars Swordsmanship could be inherited even without the Heavenly Killing Star, but for the Nephilim Sword, the successor also needed to possess the [Qi] trait.

That’s right.

Qi.

Not Innate Qi, just Qi.

In other words, even if one didn’t have Innate Qi, they could still inherit the Nephilim Sword as long as they had any Qi-related trait.

“I’ll handle that myself.”

“Is there a way to learn Innate Qi?”

“Nope. The name itself says it all—Innate Qi.”

“What’s wrong with the name?”

“Oh… You’re not familiar with Hanja, are you? ‘Innate’ means something you’re born with. You can’t acquire it later through training or education.”

I might not be able to read Hanja, but I knew things like this.

I’d read so many fantasy and martial arts novels in my past world that it was obvious.

“Then what should we do?”

“We just need to learn Acquired Qi.”

And I already had a way to acquire an Qi-related trait.

Master of the Blade.

Training in Sword and Spirit as One with Seo Woojin on our way to Aachen had been a great decision.

If not for that, it would have taken me much longer.

I carefully examined the mana circuits engraved in my body.

They were constantly shifting and transforming.

Among them, there was a small hidden fragment, like a seed.

A fragment of Sword and Spirit as One.

It wasn’t ready to bloom into a Diamond yet.

“Let’s start training. Janet, you rest. Woojin, help me. Sorin, you assist Kali.”

“Yes, Teacher!”

“Ugh, I wanted to do some real combat.”

“Oh? Sorin, you can stay in the Great Labyrinth if you want. Do whatever you like. Same goes for you, Kali. Just make sure to come find me when you need Nectar around Level 5.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

Baek Sorin looked like she wanted to jump off immediately.

Well, she had a parachute.

Kali, too, swallowed nervously as she stared down at Aachen.

“Can I really train without you, Teacher?”

“I already taught you all the basics. Next, you’ll need to learn Kalaratri, which is in the Great Rift. As long as you return around Level 5, that’s fine. Besides, Sorin will teach you practical combat skills better than I could.”

Baek Sorin puffed out her chest proudly.

Seo Woojin watched her with a slightly complicated expression.

“Then I’ll stay in the Great Labyrinth too!”

“Traitors!”

Janet growled as if deeply wounded, and Baek Sorin and Kali stuck their tongues out playfully.

“Alright, I’ll be heading to the Great Labyrinth!”

“I’ll transfer some spending money to your account.”

“No need! I’ve got plenty! I made so much from hunting beasts in Korea! And I took a ton of requests too! Kali, let’s go!”

“Yeah! See you later, Janet!”

“You absolute traitors!”

Leaving Janet stomping her feet in frustration, the two of them jumped off the ship.

Of course, they deployed their parachutes immediately.

Their delighted screams echoed as they skydived, and then their parachutes blossomed in the air.

Seo Woojin shook his head as he watched.

“Sorin is truly unpredictable.”

“She has the Heavenly Killing Star. But she’s cute, isn’t she?”

“Well, yes… but sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming. Her personality is so different from what you’d expect from the Heavenly Killing Star.”

“She’s a lot better than the Heavenly Killing Star in those drama adaptations.”

Click, click.

One by one, I removed my gear.

The Geumo Set, the Star Spawn, the Iron Fist Gauntlets, my necklace and rings, my weapon pouch, all of it.

The only thing I had left on me was a simple tracksuit.

Instead, I pulled out a blunt training sword from my golf bag.

[Master of the Blade] [Black Tiger Invincible Sword Art] [Thor Cultivation Technique]
[Focus] [Sixth Sense] [Training]

The perfect traits for acquiring Sword and Spirit as One.

“Shall we begin?”

“Yes! Here I go!”

Seo Woojin’s sharp sword strikes came rushing toward me.

In pure swordsmanship, he was leagues ahead of me.

And I had taken off all my gear.

I silently deflected his attacks.

Using [Master of the Blade], I smoothly parried and countered while advancing.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks of sword light scattered like shards of glass.

Seo Woojin’s face was no longer visible behind his sword.

No, at this moment, he wasn’t even a person—just a single blade.

I found myself unconsciously holding my breath, a chill running down my spine.

And I smiled.

Just a little more. I was so close to obtaining Sword and Spirit as One.

I lost track of time, lost in the exchange of blades.

“Dinner time!”

Janet, who had been watching blankly, finally called out to us.

“Whew!”

The sparring session ended.

Both Seo Woojin and I were drenched in sweat.

“You worked hard, Teacher.”

“Wait a moment.”

“Huh?”

“Woojin, come here for a second.”

Amidst our intense training, something good had happened.

The seed within my mana circuit had fully taken root.

I immediately pulled out a Diamond and pushed it into the air.

The Diamond melted, resonating with both my and Seo Woojin’s mana wavelengths.

Then, it surged toward him, copying his mana circuit and forming a large gem.

“Whew!”

Seo Woojin let out a whistle.

“Copying superpowers… I’ve heard of it, but this is my first time seeing it in action.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. But is this really okay? The elders in my sect told us never to do this. If done incorrectly, it could cause mana collisions and make you weaker.”

“I’ll be fine, but you shouldn’t try it. Who knows what kind of side effects it might have.”

I was tempted to experiment.

What would happen if an ordinary superhuman without a Blank Body or Trait Swap copied a trait using a Diamond?

I discreetly examined both Seo Woojin and Janet’s mana circuits.

‘A six-layered mana circuit is the limit.’

In game terms, it was like having six trait slots.

‘Martial arts, magic, and superpowers can have dozens of abilities, but…’

With [Insight] and my Bright Eyess, I could only see six.

That meant only six could apply their effects at any given time.

But what if I used Flash to unlock Master of the Blade, only for Sword and Spirit as One or First Sword to be pushed out?

They would still be stored in my memory and usable, but if I lost their bonus stats and experience perks?

‘So that’s what they meant by mana collision.’

Either way, it didn’t apply to me.

I gripped my sword and focused.

Fwoosh!

A dazzling white sword Qi erupted, and I felt myself becoming one with the blade.

My vision expanded.

The world seemed narrower.

My sharpened senses felt as if they could scan the entire Sky Ship in an instant.

Seo Woojin murmured in a strained voice.

“Sword and Spirit as One…”

Just one more step left to Master of the Blade.

After finishing my meal, I picked up the rifle I had set aside earlier and handed it to Seo Woojin.

“Teacher? Why are you giving me this?”

“Shoot me.”

“…Excuse me? You’re joking, right?”

“You know I don’t die from things like this.”

“But earlier…”

“That was because of my ability.”

Seo Woojin gave me a doubtful look, as if to ask if I was really sure about this.

I nodded firmly.

When I personally loaded a magazine into the rifle and handed it over, he hesitantly took it.

“You really want me to shoot?”

“Shoot.”

“For real?”

“Just shoot.”

Unlike the hesitant Seo Woojin, Janet looked completely unfazed.

She still seemed a bit dazed as she watched our back-and-forth.

Seo Woojin let out a long sigh.

After creating a ten-meter distance between us, he aimed the rifle.

“T-Then… I’m shooting, Teacher. Please be careful.”

“Yeah, just shoot.”

Tat tat tat tat!

Gunfire rang out.

I had already swapped my traits.

[Master of the Blade] [Sword Qi] [Black Tiger Invincible Sword Art]
[Thor Cultivation Technique] [Focus] [Training]

The method was the same as when using Sword and Spirit as One.

I continuously executed Black Tiger Shadow, the fourth technique of the Black Tiger Invincible Sword Art.

Let the bullets hit me or not.

Let the death energy gnaw at me or not.

I had already broken my limits twice by consuming specially formulated Reconstruction Elixirs.

My body had long surpassed the limits of a human.

Even without defensive traits, I could withstand rifle bullets.

My clothes might be torn, and my bones might crack, but I wouldn’t suffer any fatal wounds.

“Teacher… Are you really okay?”

Still, I couldn’t avoid getting covered in blood.

After emptying an entire magazine, Seo Woojin slowly lowered the rifle.

While continuing to use Black Tiger Shadow, I waved my hand.

“Keep going. I’m fine.”

“This is too dangerous!”

“There’s a top-tier healing potion in my golf bag. I’ll just drink that.”

“Oh… then I guess it’s fine.”

Only after hearing that did Seo Woojin look relieved.

Then, he fired relentlessly.

He swapped magazines in advance and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Bullets tore into my body, ripping flesh and shattering bones.

“Huff… Huff…”

I ignored it all.

I focused solely on the Black Tiger Invincible Sword Art.

The technique for Black Tiger Shadow was imprinted in my brain.

Now, I just had to manifest it.

Using [Master of the Blade]. Using [Sword Qi].

Thor Cultivation Technique, along with [Focus] and [Training], supported me.

The Black Tiger Invincible Sword Art was proving to be an excellent guide.

It clearly showed me the path to a Sword Barrier.

Even with my Blank Body, it should have taken me weeks to acquire it.

But I could already begin to grasp its structure.

“Hahh… Hahh…”

Seo Woojin, who had been firing nonstop, tired out before I did.

Was it because he wasn’t used to shooting?

Or was it the stress of firing at a person?

Janet, who had been watching, slowly stood up.

“Oppa, switch with me?”

“Please take over.”

“Alright. Move aside.”

Tat tat tat tat!

Janet was much better than Seo Woojin.

Of course, she was.

Janet was a pure Tank.

Thanks to [Adamantine Body], she barely felt fatigue.

Her mental fortitude was also solid.

Skipping dinner, she continued firing late into the night without pause.

Seo Woojin collapsed onto the ground, utterly defeated.

“Why… am I so weak…?”

“If you’re weak, then everyone else in the world is a skeleton.”

“You should focus on becoming a Swordmaster first.”

“Huh?”

“Sorin is a Berserker, Janet is a Defensive Warrior, and Kali is an Assassin. But you… you’re a Warrior. And until a Warrior is fully developed, their defense is naturally weak.”

I would grant him Body Protection Qi after obtaining Master of the Blade.

Then, Seo Woojin wouldn’t fall behind the others.

In duels, he might even surpass them.

After all, no superhuman was stronger in one-on-one combat than a perfected Warrior.

…Except for me, of course.

Seo Woojin clenched his fists and stood up.

“I can become stronger, right?”

“Obviously. You still have a long way to go. If Sorin is 90% complete and Janet is approaching 90%, then you’ve barely reached the halfway mark.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. You still have a long road ahead.”

Enhancing his Fierce Assault into One-Man Army was no simple feat.

Especially since it wasn’t his starting trait.

But once he succeeded, no one would be able to look down on him.

“Yes! I’ll train even harder!”

“You’re a genius. You’ll get stronger in no time.”

Training continued without sleep.

Seo Woojin and Janet took turns resting.

Meanwhile, I simply ate my meals and continued taking bullets.

For an entire week, I was covered in blood, my bones fractured, my muscles torn apart.

As the Sky Ship crossed the Eurasian continent and entered the airspace over the Yellow Sea—

“Ah!”

Janet, who had been dazed all week, finally snapped back to reality.

“I understand now!”

She stretched out her hand.

A black sword emerged from the center of her palm.

Black Blade.

She grasped it gently.

As she furrowed her brows slightly, a brilliant white light ignited along the blade.

The stark contrast between black and white.

The two lights intertwined, creating an indescribable radiance.

Gray? Ash white? Dark silver?

It was like an ink wash painting where the shades of black and white flowed freely.

A sword of light and darkness.

Compared to the ones wielded by the Nephilim in the Great Labyrinth, hers was even more stable and beautiful.

“Congratulations.”

“Wow… That’s incredible. Congrats on becoming a Swordmaster.”

But she couldn’t maintain it for long.

Even with a Mana Soul, Janet was still only Level 5.

Her face quickly turned pale, and she swayed unsteadily.

“Relax. Don’t use the Black Blade yet. It’s better to first manifest it with your own body.”

“Teacher? Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”

“Janet isn’t like an ordinary warrior. She never trained in hand-to-hand combat, but her hands and feet are already lethal weapons. She can handle Qi.”

“I didn’t know that.”

The Nephilim Sword was both a sword technique and a mana cultivation method.

The more familiar Janet became with it, the less mana it would consume.

More accurately, the more she used it, the more mana she would generate.

To reach that point, she needed to experience it firsthand.

“I’ll give it a try.”

Janet stood off to the side of the deck, waving her hands.

Black-and-white Qi flared up and dispersed repeatedly.

I couldn’t afford to fall behind.

As the Korean Peninsula came into view, I urged Seo Woojin.

“Let’s finish this.”

“Yes!”

Tat tat tat tat!

Training resumed.

I swung my sword.

Sword Qi bloomed.

It surged brilliantly, surrounding me like falling rain.

It was still full of gaps.

But compared to a week ago, the improvement was clear.

Even if it wasn’t a perfect Sword Barrier, it was at least 90% complete.

A tiger’s shadow enveloped me in protection.

It didn’t take much longer.

About four hours later—

Just as we entered Seoul’s airspace—

I felt it.

The Black Tiger Sword trembled.

And in my vision, the illusion of a Legion Commander smiled at me.

“Hoo… Ahhh…”

It had been a long journey.

That week.

Enduring non-stop gunfire, willingly putting myself through what could only be described as torture.

I must have taken hundreds of thousands—no, millions—of bullets.

But in return, I had achieved a satisfying result.

[Master of the Blade] [Flash] [Severing Moon]
[Sword and Spirit as One] [Sword Qi] [Sword Barrier]

A top-tier trait.

One of the absolute best among warrior-class traits.

I had gathered all the necessary components for Master of the Sword.

–TL Notes–
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