Trait Hoarder – Chapter 180

Beneath the Han River – Part 2

The enhanced attacks rained down like a relentless bombing campaign, hammering the riverbed.

A true barrage.

The Dark Jaguar Cultists, the heretics, fell before they could even react.

Thanks to Geumo Vision, I saw everything in perfect detail.

Synchronization truly was broken.

The Sky Ship’s sensors applied the same effect, piercing through the flashes and dust clouds to reveal everything.

“Cease fire.”

“Resume fire.”

“Cease fire.”

I issued my commands like a rhythmic chant.

It was the first time we had fought in sync, but everyone here was a superhuman.

They followed my orders flawlessly.

At some point, I had acquired the trait [Leadership].

[Command], which enhanced my subordinates’ stats.

[Order], which conditionally boosted their abilities when they followed my commands.

These two traits were essential ingredients for [General].

Since I usually fought alone, I didn’t have much use for it, but there was no harm in having it.

“Defensive barrier detected!”

Kim Saje, stationed at the detection console, shouted.

Of course, the cultists weren’t just going to sit there and die.

They had finally grasped the situation outside.

Someone must have escaped and sounded the alarm.

I narrowed my eyes, pushing Geumo Vision to its limit.

The massive monitor at the front of the bridge displayed a crisp image.

The same image projected clearly onto my retina.

A hulking figure wielding an obsidian magic shield.

His armor was obsidian.

His helmet, more of a headpiece, was obsidian.

Even the axe in his hands was obsidian.

[Black Enforcer]

No specific rank.

Not a playable character.

A dungeon boss.

He was one of the final bosses in the Myunghwa Group Chairman Defense mission, a prelude to Episode 2.

More enemies began to emerge.

[Black Blood Knight]

[Black Soothsayer]

[Black Priest]

The same lineup.

The Enforcer set up a defensive wall with his shield, while the Soothsayer and Priest reinforced the barrier to withstand our bombardment.

Boom! Boom! Thud-thud-thud! Crash! Flash!

Kim Mabeob, at the weapons control console, bellowed.

“Kill them all! Wipe them out! Fire! Full barrage!”

He even poured his own mana into the weapons.

Fiery red projectiles erupted in succession from the mana cannons.

An overwhelming display of firepower.

In terms of the real world, this would be akin to several Aegis-class destroyers launching artillery and missile strikes.

Yet the Black Bosses still stood strong.

Of course they did.

They were all Level 6.

If a Level 5 superhuman was comparable to a fighter jet, then a Level 6 superhuman was on par with a destroyer.

In both attack and defense.

Had it been just small fry, long-range bombardment would have sufficed.

But I had never expected that to be enough.

Clang!

I drew the Black Tiger Sword.

All eyes turned to me.

“Captain?”

Kim Mabeob, caught up in the moment, addressed me with an odd title.

Seong Huiyeong watched me closely.

Seo Woojin stood, drawing his sword in sync with me.

Kim Saje remained calm, his gaze steady.

The chief mage, sweating profusely as he maintained the magic barrier, barely glanced up.

“We’re going in. Woojin, you’re with me.”

“I’ve been waiting! Let’s slaughter them all!”

“I’ll join as well.”

“Yes. Be careful.”

“Heh. Ever since my lessons with a certain someone, I haven’t lost to anyone. So don’t worry.”

“If you say so.”

Thunk!

The floor opened up.

The Sky Ship, once ridden by berserkers of Norse mythology.

It had a direct passage from the bridge to the outside.

Why else would an assault station be installed for immediate deployment?

I threw myself out.

No parachute, no safety measures—just a straight dive.

Ssssshhh!

The wind howled fiercely against my body.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The final barrage struck the ground ahead of me.

Flashes and explosions burst through the air.

A suffocating cloud of dust rose.

I plunged right into it.

Through the swirling dust, my eyes locked onto the Enforcer’s.

“You wretch!”

The Enforcer roared, swinging his axe.

The obsidian weapon crackled with black lightning.

Boasting in front of me like that?

I casually tossed Mjolnir.

The hammer, imbued with an optimized trait set, detonated into a storm of lightning.

The incoming black lightning?

It was completely devoured.

“Urgh! You bastard!”

He had blocked it with his shield but had still taken considerable damage.

The charred Enforcer gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on his axe.

But before he could do anything, the Soothsayer behind him panicked, stomping his feet.

“You idiot! Stop him! Stop him now! If you let him go, we’re all dead!”

“Huh?”

“Damn it!”

The Priest reacted as well.

Together, they raised a defensive barrier.

Too late.

I gripped the Black Tiger Sword in both hands and dashed between them.

[Nephilim Sword] [Giant’s Strength] [Mana Soul]

[Mana Burst] [Thor Cultivation Technique] [Black Flame]

I poured my power in.

Drained my mana circuits dry.

The Black Tiger Sword gleamed.

Its black-and-white sword Qi flared intensely.

In moments, it transformed into black flames.

A series of cracks formed, then—

KWAARRRRRRGG!

A massive explosion erupted.

This wasn’t an ordinary detonation.

The explosion was crafted from sword Qi, utilizing the Nephilim Sword as shrapnel.

And the flames? Black Flame.

Sword fragments and fire engulfed everything.

“Gaaaahhh!”

“C-Captain! Please spare us!”

“Jaguar Lord!”

Four survived.

The four Black Bosses.

But the cultists they had tried to protect?

Not a single one remained.

They had gathered unknowingly within the defensive barrier.

And they were wiped out.

This was the power of the Nephilim Sword.

Even used as mere sword Qi instead of Sword Qi, it was devastating.

It drained my mana dry, but it was worth it.

“You’re the best, Teacher!”

“Are you planning to do this all by yourself?”

Seo Woojin and Seong Huiyeong arrived.

Seo Woojin landed with a dramatic flourish, his cloak billowing.

Seong Huiyeong elegantly soared in, golden wings unfurling mid-flight.

Seo Woojin went for the priest first.

His relentless sword strikes aimed straight for the throat and heart.

Meanwhile, Seong Huiyeong moved gracefully through the air, disrupting the Black Bosses.

She scattered light blades from her hands and fired beams from her wings.

Even with just Seong Huiyeong alone, she could likely take down all four of them.

But that wouldn’t do.

We needed them alive for interrogation.

So, I had to do my best as well.

[Shout] [Roar] [Mana Stabilization]

[Thor Cultivation Technique] [Mana Soul] [Deep Breath]

I took a deep breath.

Targeting only the four Black Bosses, I let out a commanding shout.

“Stop.”

[Shout] weakened their stats.

[Roar] paralyzed them.

That was the plan, but—

Fwoosh!

I saw the mana wavelengths of Seo Woojin and Seong Huiyeong flare up like wildfire.

Their stats had increased.

I had activated [Mana Stabilization] deliberately, but I hadn’t expected this.

Somehow, I had met the conditions for a new trait—

[Battle Cry].

‘Huh? This might work even better than I thought.’

Among the top-tier sonic traits, the most famous was Lion’s Roar.

Next in line was War Cry.

But the strongest of them all was something else—

Dragon’s Cry.

The very thing associated with dragons in the game.

I already had Dragon’s Speech, one of its required components.

All I needed now was to invest some Diamonds—one to remove the trait restriction, another to acquire the new trait.

“Graaaah!”

The Blood Knight let out a long roar.

He realized things weren’t going his way.

His body began to transform.

The artificial implants embedded in him burst out, and black fur sprouted across his skin.

He was shifting from human to monster—a Jaguar Fiend.

I spotted the mana circuit growing from his heart.

A circuit I knew all too well.

[Mutant].

The Blood Knight growled at me.

“You! I’ll kill you no matter what!”

He knew.

That it was because of me that Seong Huiyeong’s assassination had failed.

That their entire hideout was being torn apart because of me alone.

Even if he had to become a monster, he was determined to take me down.

But I was unfazed.

[Mana Soul] [Mana Core] [Thor Cultivation Technique]

[Mana Recovery] [Vigor] [Deep Breath]

I had taken a moment to rest, fully recovering my mana.

Tap. Tap.

Seo Woojin and Seong Huiyeong landed beside me.

Neither had a single scratch.

The Black Bosses, on the other hand, were covered in blood.

Their breathing was ragged.

“Surrender, and I’ll spare your lives.”

It was a generous offer, but I knew they wouldn’t take it.

They were fanatics.

As expected, the Blood Knight screamed and charged.

“DIEEEEE!”

He was fully transformed into a fiend.

[Artificial Adaptation] and [Corruption] had evolved into [Mutant Adaptation] and [Mutant Heart].

Naturally, his stats had skyrocketed to nearly match mine.

Boom!

The ground shattered as he lunged, leaving a dark streak in his wake.

In an instant, he was right in front of me.

“Watch out—”

Seong Huiyeong warned, but it was pointless.

I had already changed my traits.

[Master of the Sword].

I focused entirely on that trait.

Fwoooosh!

A surge of sword energy erupted.

Even in broad daylight, it shone vividly.

It wasn’t like before—this was on a whole other level.

At one glance, it looked like a blazing inferno.

At another, it was like a concentrated beam of starlight, as if I had forged a sword from a cluster of stars.

To the people of this world, it was an unmistakable sight.

A staple in movies and dramas, a viral sensation whenever it appeared on video-sharing platforms, always hitting a hundred million views with ease.

“An Qi Blade!”

Seong Huiyeong screamed.

The three remaining bosses widened their eyes in shock.

Even the charging Blood Knight froze.

His now bright yellow, feline-like slit pupils quivered.

His face twisted.

His fury and rage evaporated, replaced by entirely different emotions—

Shock.

And fear.

Slice!

I passed by the Blood Knight.

I didn’t need Mars Swordsmanship.

I didn’t need the Black Tiger Invincible Sword Art.

I simply let the blade guide me.

I swung as it whispered to me.

White sword energy danced.

A pure white star descended onto the battlefield.

The Blood Knight was cut into dozens of pieces.

No blood. No scream.

Only chunks of flesh, scattered like garbage.

“Lies! That’s a lie!”

The Soothsayer shrieked.

“You’re Level 6! Level 6! How did you become a Swordmaster?!”

“Is there a rule saying only Level 7s can be Swordmasters?”

“That’s… that’s not how it works, but still—!”

“Enough talk. Are you surrendering or not?”

Fwoooosh!

I let my sword energy flare as I asked.

The three of them exchanged glances.

Their expressions, once twisted with shock and fear, quickly shifted.

Their eyes burned with resolve.

Fanatics really were exhausting.

I didn’t wait for an answer.

I moved.

A white arc streaked through the air.

The three reacted belatedly, but it was already too late.

Their obsidian shields, magic barriers, and holy defenses—

None of it mattered.

“Guh!”

“Urk!”

“Kegh!”

I severed their limbs.

A single, continuous stroke of white left clean-cut traces across their bodies.

Only their heads and torsos remained as they collapsed.

Then, I delivered a precise punch to each of them.

I struck their hearts with just enough mana to incapacitate them.

They convulsed, then went limp.

Barely alive.

As superhumans, they wouldn’t die.

But they wouldn’t regain consciousness for several days.

Seong Huiyeong let out a breath, looking exasperated.

“I guess I didn’t even need to help.”

“Not at all, Chairman. Thanks to you, this ended quickly. Woojin, good job as well.”

“Not at all. But, uh… Teacher, you’re seriously strong. I don’t know if I should say this, but… you seem stronger than a Level 7.”

“Of course. You already saw it.”

“Well, yeah, but still.”

He had been right there when I took down the Massacre Empress.

Well, back then, I had only barely won.

I had to distract her with Hellfire and land Mistilteinn’s Godslayer strike just right.

If I fought her now, things would be different.

I’d still need an item that nullified invincibility, but it would be much easier than before.

Clank, clank.

Seo Woojin secured the three captives with mana-sealing restraints.

He also gagged them to prevent suicide.

Above us, parachutes unfurled.

The Iron Fist Gang’s superhumans were descending to handle cleanup.

We could leave the captives in their hands.

I sheathed the Black Tiger Sword and turned to Seong Huiyeong.

“Chairman, shall we?”

“Let’s go.”

Not just anyone could enter the Forbidden Zone.

The Interdimensional Shock Bomb had spread Black Flame catalysts everywhere.

Any superhuman who entered would have their mana ignited, suffering pain akin to a high fever.

I was immune to Black Flame, so I could pass through without issue.

Seong Huiyeong was a Level 7 superhuman and possessed the Solar Crow mana circuit. As long as she used the right artifacts, she would be fine too.

We stepped into the Forbidden Zone.

The entire world was distorted.

Black Flames clung to the walls, ceiling, and floor.

They roared as if they would consume everything, but in truth, they only burned mana.

A few corpses lay right by the entrance.

They had likely tried to escape but got caught in the bombing before making it back inside.

“This place is pretty big.”

“It is. Are you feeling alright?”

“A little stifled, but nothing serious.”

“If you feel any issues with your mana circuit, let me know immediately. I can absorb the Black Flame for you.”

The Dark Jaguar Cult’s headquarters matched its in-game counterpart.

A classic dungeon layout.

Five floors, all aligned in a straight path.

The first three floors weren’t worth much.

They only contained living quarters, a dining hall, and training facilities for regular cultists.

The real deal started on the fourth floor.

Seong Huiyeong scowled as she took in the research labs and the altar.

“Damn cultist scum.”

Hybrid experiments.

Human experimentation.

Human sacrifices.

Even in this world, these were among the most heinous crimes imaginable.

There were no survivors.

There never would have been.

Even if they had lived, death would have been a mercy compared to the suffering they had endured.

For non-superhumans, their deaths had likely been instant.

“This is it.”

The fifth and final floor.

The treasure vault and the offices.

Stacks of gold bars, gems, enchanted gear, rare materials, and Diamonds filled the room, but none of it mattered.

Seong Huiyeong and I had already agreed to split the loot fairly.

The real prize was the classified documents we found in the office.

They were filled with encrypted text.

Snap!

Seong Huiyeong flicked her fingers.

“All we have to do is decrypt this, right?”

“That should be it.”

Would this contain proof of the Old Father’s Cult meddling?

I wasn’t sure.

Even if it wasn’t definitive evidence, a clue would be enough.

Enough to strip the Saintess of her mask before Episode 3 began.

We tore the office apart, searching every inch.

Not just one office—we ransacked all four bosses’ offices.

Even their bedrooms.

Any place a boss might have been—whether it was the dining hall, meeting room, altar, or research lab—we searched it all.

Which was why we were oblivious.

Unaware that chaos had erupted outside.

Unaware that people—citizens—were losing their minds over the sudden appearance of a Level 6 Swordmaster after decades.

–TL Notes–
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