Trait Hoarder – Chapter 233

Arctic Sovereign — Part 1

Arctic Sovereign spreads its wings.

Mana converges.

The air howls.

Its body soars!

In the blink of an eye, Arctic Sovereign is in the sky.

At the very edge of the Forbidden Zone, at the peak of this small world.

“Let’s go!”

There’s no need to shout.

I’m already airborne.

No—Red is ascending.

[Dragon Knight] [Aerial Assault] [Thunderbolt]

[Holy Knight] [Mana Soul] [Thor Cultivation Technique]

Like a streak of lightning.

Its massive body vaporizes, folding through space.

I arrive a step ahead in the sky.

That’s why I can prepare.

Arctic Sovereign twists fluidly midair.

A sudden dive attack upon first contact.

[Dragon Knight] [Shield Expert] [Mana Barrier]

[Mana Shield] [Mana Armor] [Domain Shield]

Deploying a quadruple-layered defense at full power!

Red growls instinctively.

The Dragon Heart—its mighty heart—pounds furiously.

From it, an immense surge of mana.

My quadruple-layered barrier strengthens further.

I couldn’t use my Holy Knight abilities or Earth traits, but they layered onto Aegis as if they were one.

Arctic Sovereign plummets.

A mass of ice descends.

It’s not just a giant ice bird—it’s an iceberg crashing down.

Red’s anxiety is palpable.

Fear threatens to creep into my heart.

The more it does, the more I pour strength into my shield.

Arctic Sovereign’s dive attack is undeniably powerful.

But based on what I know—according to my calculations—the attack of an 8th-level Arctic Sovereign can’t kill me.

It can make me suffer horribly, though.

BOOM!

Impact.

Destruction.

Collapse.

Agonizing pain rips through both me and Red at once.

[Aagh!]

Red screams.

I swallow the blood surging up my throat.

My vision flashes white, my consciousness teetering on the brink of darkness—but I force myself to stay awake.

At the same time, I switch traits.

[Dragon Knight] [Undying] [Indomitable]

[Supreme Flame] [Mana Soul] [Aerial Assault]

I rise.

I control Red as if he were my own body.

His wings spread wide, the wind lifting both of us like a drifting leaf.

Red maneuvers in a perfect acrobatic flight.

Even while coughing up blood, he weaves an intricate figure-eight to escape.

A retreat maneuver from Aerial Assault.

And then, he opens his mouth.

The breath he releases isn’t the typical dragonfire of a red dragon.

It’s not the azure flames of a Dragon King, either.

Golden, radiant flames.

A Supreme Flame bomb drops like a warhead.

“Kiiiiiih!”

Arctic Sovereign shrieks.

How’s that taste, huh?

A golden opportunity.

I don’t let it slip. I roar.

“[All-out attack!]”

“Kill it!”

“Charge!”

[Face judgment!]

[It’s time for vengeance!]

Everyone was already poised for action.

The elves unleash ice spirits.

Instead of direct attacks, the spirits shatter Arctic Sovereign’s defensive barrier.

Through the opening, boulders and wooden spears fly, piercing the beast.

Foxfire and wolf flames amplify each other, engulfing Arctic Sovereign in a blazing inferno.

The grand finale—three dragons breathe in unison.

Ice, lightning, and wind hammer Arctic Sovereign.

Oddly enough, even the silver dragon’s ice breath deals effective damage.

The mana within it gnaws away at Arctic Sovereign, shattering its ice feathers.

“KIIIIIIHHH!”

Arctic Sovereign screeches.

It dodges erratically, maneuvering like a supersonic fighter jet.

Every attack misses.

The attacks of the other races.

The dragons’ breath. Even the relentless magical bombardment raining down like an airstrike.

Pop!

I watch as I pop open the lid of a potion bottle.

[Potion Dependency] [Potion Addiction]

A top-tier healing potion, a mana potion, and holy water restore me to perfect condition.

Thanks to the Dragon Knight trait, Red is healed as well—a nice bonus.

Honestly, this was the main reason I used the potion traits.

If it were just me, I wouldn’t even need them.

[It hurts too much.]

Red whimpers.

[That thing is too strong.]

“[We’re stronger.]”

[But it hurts…]

“[Trust me. I’ll get you lots of meat.]”

[Meat?!]

I have to step up.

No one else can tank this thing.

If no one endures Arctic Sovereign’s dive attacks and icicle barrages, we’ll all just get picked off one by one and freeze solid in the Northern Windss.

Swish!

I charge.

As fast as Arctic Sovereign itself.

The moment I catch its eye, it suddenly ascends.

A maneuver that ignores inertia—tilting straight up in a vertical climb.

Think you can escape?

I accelerate to follow.

Using Aerial Assault’s movement techniques, both Red and I defy inertia as well.

Then, igniting a burst of mana and activating Lightning Surge, we instantly close the gap.

“KIAAAK!”

Arctic Sovereign lets out a shrill cry, as if in disbelief.

It flips its body.

Its feathers shed.

They freeze midair, transforming into colossal ice pillars.

A barrage of icicles rains down.

I grit my teeth.

I activate my quadruple-layered barrier once more.

I lack Bright Eyes and Sixth Sense, but I sharpen my focus.

I keep my eyes locked on the icicles.

And just as they’re about to skewer both Red and me—

I deflect them.

The icicles—this overwhelming superpower, this grand magic.

I reflect it back.

The icicles reverse their trajectory, shooting back toward Arctic Sovereign.

“KIIIAAAAH!”

It hates that.

Arctic Sovereign lets out a long, piercing screech.

Then, catching the rebounded icicles, it begins to circle me.

Every time its wings flap, more icicles form.

A continuous, relentless barrage.

Icicles fly at me like a blizzard.

It’s throwing down the gauntlet.

‘Oh? You think I can’t handle this?’

I steel my resolve.

I make up my mind.

[Bring it on! Bring it on!]

Red, sensing my determination, roars alongside me.

Once again, I deploy my quadruple-layered barrier.

This time, I have to rely entirely on my instincts.

I trust myself.

I trust the warrior who has survived countless deadly battles.

With pure instinct and razor-sharp focus, without any sensory assistance, without even looking at the red warning lines filling my vision, I deflected the attacks with my shield.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

My mind goes blank.

Each strike is as powerful as a Level 7 boss’s ultimate attack.

Even with Magic Reflection, the impact isn’t entirely negated.

With every deflection, the accumulated shock pounds against me.

But I endure.

Without [Giant’s Strength], without [Undying], without [Indomitable]—I endure.

All my focus is on returning each falling icicle, one by one, back at Arctic Sovereign.

Even as my teeth crack, as blood flows from my mouth, nose, eyes, and ears—I don’t care.

With human eyes.

And with dragon eyes.

I fixate solely on the icicles, the enormous ice bird, and this frozen sky.

Flash!

And then, in an instant—

I feel a strange power rising from my heart.

Confidence surges through me.

An unshakable feeling that no matter what attack comes, no matter how lethal the onslaught, I will block it.

Acquired the trait: [Fortress].

A trait that increases defense and perfect block probability when standing firm without moving.

And the longer I hold my ground, the stronger it becomes.

Of course, there’s a limit.

But this isn’t why I’ve been waiting for the [Fortress] trait.

[Shield Expert], [Fortress], [Mana Barrier], [Mana Shield], [Mana Armor], [Domain Shield]—the ultimate combination.

My mana circuits align.

Instantly fusing into a thicker, grander mana structure.

[Celestial Wall]

I extend my arm.

Aegis glows brilliantly.

Its size swells—no, it expands at least tenfold, thickening into a golden fortress wall before me.

BANG!

A rain of icicles hammers against Celestial Wall.

But not a single impact reaches me.

The same devastating blows that just moments ago threatened to shatter my arms—completely nullified.

This is Celestial Wall.

Arcane Seoul’s strongest defensive trait.

“KIIIIIIH!”

Did it sense something was wrong?

Arctic Sovereign soars high into the sky.

A dive attack.

And as it spreads its wings wide, icicles form.

Dozens of icicles now orbit around it like satellites.

The ultimate move—[Ice Soul Descent].

Yeah.

That’s more like it.

I stand my ground, facing Arctic Sovereign head-on.

Using the briefest window, I refine my trait set.

[Dragon Knight] [Giant’s Strength] [Undying]

[Holy Knight] [Celestial Wall] [Earth]

The strongest defense I can create right now.

Celestial Wall now imbued with Earth’s essence.

Cubic masses fuse into it, and Aegis shines a blinding white.

What emerges—a colossal platinum wall.

And from me, from Red, a radiant, crown-like light spreads across the entire Forbidden Zone.

CRASH!

Arctic Sovereign collides with full force.

For a moment, I black out.

But that’s all.

[Giant’s Strength] minimizes the impact.

[Undying] snaps me back to consciousness.

Even Red is frozen in place, as if nailed midair.

Despite taking the full brunt of [Ice Soul Descent], we haven’t been sent flying.

Our eyes meet.

At this distance, I see Arctic Sovereign’s eyes up close.

This must be Red’s vision.

Confusion, shock—but also a growing sense of composure, influenced by me.

“Heh.”

I open my mouth.

And unleash my breath.

I become Red.

I spew flames.

FWOOSH!

[Supreme Flame Breath].

No longer just a few bomb-like bursts—now a continuous flamethrower stream.

Fueled by all my mana.

Fueled by all of Red’s mana.

“KIAAAAAAH!”

Arctic Sovereign screams.

Thrashing violently, it lashes out at me—at Red.

If I hadn’t switched traits and deployed Celestial Wall, I would’ve suffered a fatal wound.

“[Hah!]”

Red charges into Arctic Sovereign.

His front claws swing like a hammer, smashing into it.

This strike isn’t just brute force—it carries real combat technique, enhanced by my newly acquired [Impact] trait.

Mjolnir flies in, slamming into Arctic Sovereign.

A black-and-white sword energy blast from Black Tiger Sword pierces through it.

Arctic Sovereign, driven by instinct, desperately tries to evade.

But the dragons were already waiting.

They pounce.

[Hahaha! How does it taste?!]

[Now’s the time to kill it!]

[Don’t let it fight back!]

A relentless storm of breath attacks and magic bombardments.

Shockingly, the dragons temporarily set aside their pride.

They each carry six warriors from other races on their backs.

The added firepower strips away Arctic Sovereign’s ice armor.

One of the elven siblings shouts.

“It’s about to expose its core! Be ready!”

[What nonsense is this little creature babbling?]

[It means the beast is about to go berserk.]

[The only way is to focus all firepower! There’s nowhere to hide inside the Forbidden Zone!]

[But I remember a barrier protecting it before…]

“[I’ll handle that. Focus on attacking.]”

[Very well.]

[Human, I trust you.]

The attacks intensify.

I block every single one of Arctic Sovereign’s attacks.

Its desperate struggle is in vain.

Whether it’s [Ice Soul Descent], dive attacks, or icicle barrages—I stop them all.

I alone am both the tank and the healer.

Finally, Arctic Sovereign’s ice armor shatters completely, leaving behind its true form.

A single bird.

Its entire body is translucent blue-white, so thin that its veins and nerves are visible beneath its skin—a massive arcane beast.

The other races stiffen.

Even the dragons tense up.

The Prophet’s Ring burns hot against my finger.

Red groans, warning me.

[It hurts… It’s coming.]

Yeah.

It’s about to begin.

“KIAAAAAAK!”

Amidst the raging storm of spells.

Under the relentless barrage of attacks.

Arctic Sovereign spreads its wings.

A hazy mist unfurls—its barrier.

At its core, a gleaming white ice crystal.

Its mana core.

[The Northern Winds is coming!]

[Destroy it! Shatter the barrier!]

[If we don’t, we’re all dead!]

“Damn it! Not this again!”

“Break through it! Now!”

“No! We’re not dealing with an Ice Spirit King! Our spirits alone won’t be enough!”

Despite the relentless attacks, the barrier wasn’t something that could be broken so easily.

So, I climbed onto Red’s shoulder.

I deactivated [Dragon Knight].

“Grrr…”

Red let out a confused rumble, but I ignored it.

From my Armory, I retrieved the Royal Jeongjo Gun.

Click. Click.

With a metallic sound, it transformed.

I switched it to sniper mode and took precise aim at Arctic Sovereign.

[Invincible Gun] [Gunplay] [Sniper]

[One-Man Army] [Destruction]

The destruction of [One-Man Army], the regular [Destruction] trait, and the gun’s inherent [Destruction] attribute.

In other words, Triple Destruction.

I didn’t hesitate.

The moment the crosshairs aligned, I pulled the trigger.

Bang!

A gunshot tore through the air.

The bullet soared forward.

I shouldn’t have been able to see its trajectory, yet somehow, I could.

It struck exactly where I aimed.

The barrier visibly trembled.

But the Triple Destruction was merely a distraction.

The real attack was this—

[Heaven Defiance].

A trait I obtained after single-handedly slaying the Wraith King.

A pure white glow surged.

A trait that nullifies any ability.

[Heaven Defiance] rode the bullet like a courier, reaching the barrier.

And just like that—

The rippling barrier dissolved into nothingness.

“Now!”

[Now!]

The voices of the other races and dragons echoed in urgency.

But I was faster.

I moved a step ahead of Arctic Sovereign’s barrier regeneration.

My hand brushed against the Armory.

This time, instead of the gun, I pulled out the Mountain Wail Rocket Launcher.

I poured in my mana.

For a moment, I let go of [Invincible Gun] and [Gunplay], replacing them with purely mana-based traits.

Not just my mana—Red’s as well.

An absurd amount of power surged into Mountain Wail, but it held.

As expected of a divine artifact.

Truly worthy of being the Poca Cult’s signature weapon.

Charging—complete.

The rocket launcher’s tip glowed red.

No, beyond red—a blinding white heat.

Whiiing, whiiing.

The Northern Winds howled.

The absolute-zero frost threatened to freeze the world.

I could feel my body stiffening.

The dragons had already landed, and the other races sluggishly flailed their arms, barely able to move.

“Hurry…”

[Hurry…]

I locked onto Arctic Sovereign.

Only one shot.

But my heart was completely calm.

Not even a sliver of tension.

The idea of missing didn’t even exist in my mind.

Because my trait switching was broken.

Because the traits I had built up had never once failed me.

FWOOOSH!

The rocket launched.

A projectile crafted purely from mana, carrying [Supreme Flame] within it.

A direct hit on the mana core.

The moment it struck, golden flames erupted.

Like a colossal flaming rose blooming in the sky.

A harrowing scream pierced directly into my brain.

[KIIIIAAAAAH!]

Arctic Sovereign thrashed violently.

The world was collapsing.

The Forbidden Zone was crumbling.

The sky shattered, turning into icicles that rained down.

The ground fractured, ice spikes erupting upward.

Its final struggle.

“[Gather together!]”

It was meaningless.

Because I blocked everything with Celestial Wall.

“Kiiiii…”

And so, within the collapsing world—

Arctic Sovereign let its long neck fall, accepting its death.

I wasn’t the only one who brought it down.

In truth, the other races and dragons did most of the attacking.

But still—

This was the first Level 8 arcane beast I had ever hunted.

–TL Notes–
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