Trait Hoarder – Chapter 300

Epilogue

[Commemorating the 5th anniversary of the sealing of the Grand Labyrinth and the Great Rift, the Draco Union, the Seraph System, and the Makina Alliance have announced plans to send interdimensional envoys…]

[President Kwonwang of the Protector Alliance emphasized that this would be an opportunity to strengthen interdimensional cooperation…]

[Unfortunately, Sword Star will not be attending the ceremony this time either…]

Thwack!

A janggi piece slammed into the finest-quality board.

“Checkmate!”

A lively voice rang out.

A girl, looking to be in her late teens, scowled.

“This old fart got younger and only got smarter, huh.”

“Heh. Then you should try turning back the clock too, old hag. Who’s stopping you?”

“Big talk from someone who only managed to get younger thanks to his star pupil.”

“Hehehe. That brat’s really something. Truly something else. First human to hit level 10, they say?”

“Ugh. If that kid had come to Poca instead of going to Cheorwon back then, I would’ve made him my disciple on the spot.”

“Hey! Don’t call my precious disciple a ‘brat’!”

“Oh, fine. You’ve got big arms, you old coot.”

Sitting across from her was a young man, likely in his early twenties.

He had a large build.

A mane of lion-like facial hair jutted out deliberately and fiercely.

Fwoosh!

A red streak tore through the air, and a massive bird appeared.

Its entire body was engulfed in roaring flames—
a phoenix.

An old man leapt off the creature’s back.

He was sharply dressed in a tailored suit and held a golden dragon-adorned staff, an image that radiated authority.

“Oh, you’re here?”

“What are you doing here? You think we’ve got something for you to mooch off of?”

The young man and girl who had been playing janggi greeted him with mock complaints.

The old man bowed deeply.

“I came by thinking you two might feel a bit lonely after retiring. But… oh dear.”

He glanced at the janggi board and let out an awkward laugh.

“With so many fun things in the world these days, you’re still playing janggi? Should I bring over one of the new toys I made?”

“No, thank you!”

“This set was a gift from that brat.”

“You mean…”

“Sword Star! That old coot’s disciple!”

“They say he carved it himself from red sandalwood because it’s good for dementia. At the very least, we owe it to him to use it, don’t you think?”

Disciple.

There was no need to say who they meant.

The old man bowed even deeper.

“Goodness! I hadn’t realized. Then of course, you must play! Absolutely!”

“Tsk tsk. How careless for someone past a hundred.”

“Mages are all like that.”

“Old man! Stop hating on mages!”

“So, what are you really here for?”

“Why else? A fine bottle just came in.”

The old man pulled out a long crystal bottle and popped the cork.

Pop!

A fresh, crisp mix of strawberry, apple, pear, and grape aromas wafted out.

The young man sniffed eagerly.

“Elf wine? It’s elf wine, right?”

“Yes. Made with sap from the World Tree—top quality.”

“Whoa! Where’d you get this? Those mutant bastards are stingy as hell. They’d rather die than give up their sap.”

“Hehehe.”

The old man chuckled slyly.

“I bought it from the Alfe Continent.”

“You crossed the dimensional gate?”

“Of course. I have some connections, you know.”

“You’re aware your connections overlap with mine?”

“Of course, of course. That’s why I rushed straight over!”

They cleared the janggi board and laid out drinks.

Elf wine—famous across all the known dimensions.

No snacks were needed.

Their faces were quickly flushed.

“By the way, did you hear?”

“Hear what?”

“Chairwoman Seong announced she’s staying single.”

“Tsk…”

The young man clicked his tongue.

“She should’ve just found a decently built guy and settled down. She was always too greedy.”

“Still, she’s not doing too bad, is she? Thanks to the goblins, she made it to the top of the business world.”

“She’s doing great! But my damn disciple is just too amazing. And the worst part—he’s still so innocent. ‘True love,’ he says. As if that exists anymore.”

“It does.”

The girl spoke with a face full of nostalgia.

“It definitely does.”

“That was back when you didn’t know how the world worked. You weren’t even a superhuman then. Now that you’ve got powers and can see right through people, how can anyone fall in love purely?”

“You’re just jaded, old man. Tsk. Even that brat, Sword Star, ended up learning all your bad habits along with the good ones.”

“Hahaha.”

The old man laughed, then asked casually.

“So, is Sword Star never planning to get married?”

“He could have three wives and four concubines—no, hundreds if he wanted. But he won’t even meet women unless they genuinely like him for who he is. He’s not interested otherwise.”

“He’s become too strong.”

“That brat’s practically better at mind-reading than actual psychic types. He can see through people’s intentions at a glance. If it’s not going to be real, he figures it’s better not to start anything at all.”

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

Just as their conversation was in full bloom—

the sky darkened.

Thick black clouds surged upward, swallowing the heavens.

Bolts of lightning flashed through the gaps.

The young man looked up, eyes filled with disbelief.

“What the… why’s the weather suddenly like this? Don’t tell me—he’s coming again?”

CRACK!

A lightning bolt struck the ground.

From the blast emerged a burly middle-aged man.

“Little bro! Your big brother’s here!”

“Oh, come on!”

The young man frowned.

“Do you have a bloodhound’s nose or something? Every time we crack open a drink, you barge in!”

“Hehehe! You can’t just drink the good stuff with only your little brothers! You gotta report to your big brother right away!”

“No thanks. Go drink your nectar in Asgard.”

“Such a cold man. Come on now, pour a full cup. Huh? You’ve gotten more wrinkles, haven’t you?”

“I greet the Greatest Lightning.”

The old man bowed respectfully, and the middle-aged man scratched his head awkwardly.

“Ah, enough! Knock it off and sit down! I hate that kind of thing!”

“But the difference between god and human…”

“What is this, the Middle Ages? There are humans stronger than gods now—what’s the difference supposed to mean? Just drink already. Oh right! The Rock Bastard and the Earth Granny will be here soon too.”

“Pardon? Gasp!”

Black obsidian emerged in midair.

At the same time, the ground swelled and shaped itself into human form.

The two arrived in a flash.

A man of Latin descent and a tall, Southern European beauty.

The beauty closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the aroma.

“Elf wine… I haven’t smelled that since Ragnarok. I thought I’d never taste World Tree sap elf wine again.”

“They say it’s delicious?”

“Hehehe, so they say, Young God of the Volcano. Shall we have a taste ourselves?”

The beauty gazed intently at the old man.

He flinched and reluctantly pulled out a few more bottles.

But he couldn’t help muttering with a hint of regret.

“I didn’t expect the three of you to show up as well. I suppose you’re all enjoying wandering around in those Avatar bodies.”

“Haha, of course.”

The Latin man gave a cheerful laugh.

“It’s all thanks to Sword Star. Thanks to the Avatar bodies he created, we can go wherever we like. Even cross dimensional gates and visit other realms.”

“Wahahaha!”

The middle-aged man who had arrived via lightning burst into laughter.

“You’re telling me! Know what I’ve been up to lately? I’ve been working as a mercenary in the Draco Union!”

“A mercenary? Shouldn’t you be in Asgard?”

“My real body’s still stuck in Asgard, of course! I’m the only one left of the Aesir gods, can’t be helped! Still, fighting wars as a mercenary kind of makes me feel alive again! That Sword Star—he’s my savior, I tell you!”

He muttered to himself.

“Ugh. I should’ve made him my war minister the moment I met him…”

The beauty chuckled softly.

“Do you think that would’ve worked? It’s better that you didn’t force it. Great Lightning, had you tried to impose your will, you’d be in the same boat as the Old Father or Osiris by now.”

“True that. Hmph!”

The middle-aged man downed his drink in big gulps.

Watching him, the girl turned to the beauty and asked,

“Isn’t the Heaviest Mother busy? I heard the priesthood is struggling to stabilize Africa after absorbing the Osiris Cult.”

“Oh, that.”

The beauty calmly sipped her elf wine.

“I plan to make Persephone independent.”

“Ah, the Queen of the Underworld…”

“Osiris was a god of life and death. Persephone should do well. She may not match him, but the Golden Apostle will assist her.”

Golden Apostle.

The girl nodded in understanding.

With Dragon God Radon sealed for unknown reasons, and the newly rising Gaia Cult’s apostle stepping in—

One who held the power of life.

He would have no trouble working with Persephone to swallow up the Osiris Cult entirely.

“It would’ve been nice if the Embracing River had gone to the Nile instead.”

“What can I do when my disciple preferred the Yangtze and settled down there? Honestly, it’s better for us this way.”

“That’s true.”

“You two have visited the Peach Blossom Garden, haven’t you?”

The old man asked, and both the young man and the girl nodded in unison.

“Of course! We’ve been!”

“It’s really well made.”

The middle-aged man agreed as well.

“Worth every bit of effort those two deities put in. I drop by sometimes when I’m bored, drink some Springwater Brew. Oh, and wrestle with that—what’s his name—Bear Guardian?”

“Does the Brew Guardian just hand it over? When I went, he gave me a single cup after much fuss.”

“You get it free, that’s why. I pay him a bottle of nectar for a single sip.”

“Phew, talk about a rip-off. That’s so like Skeleton Snake, that stingy Brew Guardian.”

The beauty didn’t seem too pleased.

“Still, gods running businesses? Isn’t that a sign of the end times?”

The Latin man protested.

“Heaviest Mother, talk like that gets you labeled an old fossil these days. We’re in a time when gods work as mercs and run theme parks. You didn’t know I started a company too, did you?”

“The Burning Smoke started a company?”

“Yes. A dimensional trading company. I made direct deals with the Dragon God of the Draco Union, the Celestials of the Seraph System, and the Machine Gods of the Makina Alliance.”

“Good heavens…”

The beauty shook her head.

“I knew the world would change when I first saw Sword Star… but not this much…”

“Earth Granny, the age of worshipping gods just because they’re gods is long gone. These days, a god is just another high-level being. If you don’t like that, you better ascend to the divine realm for good.”

“I can’t get used to this…”

As the bottles emptied, the sky filled with twilight.

While this drinking party carried on in the eastern part of Eurasia—

on the opposite side, in the west, a departure ceremony was in full swing.

On the podium stood a man with both arms replaced by prosthetics.

He looked out at the seated crowd and spoke in a deep, resonant voice.

“It has already been three years.”

Magitech laser projectors drew a hologram in the air.

A colossal phoenix.

And humans moving in formation to attack it.

“Three years ago! We successfully hunted the divine beast Phoenix!”

“Oooooh!”

“Waaaaah!”

“Though Director Sword Star was with us, and though the Sun Mage Tower Master and many superhumans also joined us, it remains an undeniable fact that the core of that operation was our Hunter Association!”

“Long live the Hunter Association!”

“And today, for the next great leap of our association, I propose a new divine beast hunt!”

The man raised his arms with fervor.

The hologram changed, projecting a new divine beast.

Twice the size of the Phoenix.

At first glance, it resembled a massive serpent, but the glowing orb in its mouth, the antler-like horns, and the catfish whiskers gave it a distinctly different impression.

A dragon.

Not a Western dragon, but the Eastern kind.

A royal dragon—Hwangryong.

In terms of divine beasts, it was the highest-level entity, not just in China where it dwelled, but possibly across the entire world.

“Some of you may feel daunted.”

The man leaned forward as he spoke.

“You may be thinking, ‘Can we really handle this on our own?’”

Then he twisted his body enthusiastically toward the edge of the podium.

“That’s why we’ve brought them here! From the mighty Tianshan Mountains, homeland of the great warriors, the eternal sacred ground of humanity! We welcome the former Martial Alliance Leader from the Heavenly Demon Sect, Lord Divine Army, and the former President of the Protector Alliance, Lord Blood King!”

“Gasp!”

“Did he say Lord Divine Army and Lord Blood King?”

“Wooooaah!”

“Lord Divine Army! Please look this way!”

“It’s Lord Blood King!”

The two men rose side by side.

Slender Lord Divine Army.

Bear-like Lord Blood King.

Though both still remained at level 8, their confident auras were unmistakable.

They had the experience.

They had hunted the Phoenix, and even taken down the Antarctic God.

And while Sword Star, the key figure, was absent this time, the roster participating today was strong enough for them to calculate a successful Hwangryong hunt.

“To be able to join today’s hunt for Hwangryong…”

Lord Divine Army began his speech in a bright, spirited voice.

In the VIP seats, a female elf stifled a yawn.

“Why do humans do such boring things? Just pop a few magic fireworks and get on with it. They said we have to go all the way to China.”

“Hahaha.”

The Nord warrior woman beside her laughed.

“That’s how you get investors.”

“Huh? Investors?”

“Yeah. You know, hunting divine beasts costs a lot of money.”

“I know that.”

“So you gotta make a show of it—take photos, give speeches, get some applause—and then the politicians and rich old geezers will start throwing their support in. It’s all necessary.”

“But isn’t that guy already rich?”

“He is. Just not ‘hunt-the-Hwangryong’ rich. Besides, he’s doing all this to earn that gold badge.”

“Gold badge?”

“Member of Parliament. He wants to be a National Assembly member.”

“If he hits level 7, wouldn’t that naturally come with it?”

“All Reinforced types are like that. My brother says he didn’t used to be this way, but he seems to have changed lately.”

“Not like Kwonwang.”

“Well, he’s got my brother right beside him. Got some good influence there.”

“Mom!”

A blond child came running up with a tatatat.

“Bolsung’s fighting again!”

“Again? That brat! Where’s your dad?”

“Drinking!”

“That man, again!”

The Nord warrior woman stood up.

The female elf chuckled bitterly and waved a hand.

“Go hit him once for me, Hjordis.”

“I’ll do more than that! I should break his bones this time! That idiot still hasn’t changed even after getting cirrhosis! I’m so ashamed I can’t even show my face in public! A level 7 warrior getting liver disease—how ridiculous is that?!”

“Hahaha.”

The female elf just laughed.

She herself lived off immune suppressants.

‘But now, I only have to take them once a month…’

The world really had become a better place.

All thanks to him.

The one who saved her brother and friends from Arctic Zero, and restored the Ice Palace.

While she sat quietly reminiscing, whispers rose from behind her.

“Heh. They’re gonna make a killing on this one.”

“They’d better. If it fails, it’s a loss.”

“With level 8 superhumans participating, and the Dragon Fang Golems from the Draco Union, plus World Stones from the Seraph System, and top-grade weapons from the Makina Alliance—there’s no way this fails.”

“Must’ve spent a fortune. Isn’t that a loss if they spent too much?”

“Nope. Divine beasts like Hwangryong are rare even across dimensions. Sell it to nobles or royalty from another realm, and it’s a jackpot.”

“Heh, look at that ragman ever since he started his dimensional trading company—he’s just dripping wealth.”

“It’s hard nowadays, too. Too many competitors. Damn gods starting their own trading companies—that’s cheating.”

“Oh, the guy from Brazil? Hope he suffers.”

“If I suffer, you all lose out too!”

“Hahaha. Our great President Kim Chunbok will figure it out.”

They were faces she had seen before.

Was it the Colosseum party?

Four superhumans were chatting casually with a wealthy-looking fat man.

All four were level 7.

The female elf turned her gaze indifferently.

Those four reeked so heavily of bloodlust, it triggered a primal discomfort in her instincts.

‘What is he doing now, I wonder…’

While the Hunter Association was announcing their hunt for Hwangryong—

on a remote island in the Pacific, preparations for a grand meat feast were underway.

“Heave-ho!”

As special oil was poured, golden flames erupted.

A man wearing papal robes and a papal tiara smiled cheerfully.

“You’re using Supreme Flame to grill meat—won’t your brother be mad if he finds out?”

The red-haired man tending the meat smirked.

“Who do you think I learned it from?”

“Uh… the warrior brother?”

“Ding ding! Correct. Our lord grills meat with Martial God Myth. Last time he even used Absolute Zero to make bingsu.”

“Ahahaha…”

The papal man let out a helpless chuckle.

Next to him, a man with twin pistols looked at the red-haired man and asked,

“You’re fully stabilized now, right?”

“Huh? Me?”

The red-haired man rotated his shoulder in a wide circle, then answered.

“The Ifrit fusion really works well. It was rough at first, but I adapted thanks to our lord’s help.”

“You’re just calling him ‘our lord’ outright now.”

“Heh. He’s the one who let me live.”

“You’re giving off serious old-school gangster vibes, though.”

“What? You little punk—!”

The red-haired man flared up with golden flames.

But the twin-pistols man only laughed, even as the fire engulfed him.

“You forgot I’m immune to fire?”

“Yeah yeah, good for you. Well done, oh mighty CEO of Sword Star Security.”

“Haha, yes, yes. The former CEO of Sword Star Security. Or should I call you Chairman now? President Kwonwang?”

“Chairman my ass… Don’t. Just call me like you used to.”

“Got it, Iron Fist hyung.”

The twin-pistols man helped with the grilling.

They grilled beef, pork, chicken, lobsters, shrimp, and abalone.

The man in the papal robes cooked a spicy kimchi stew.

All three of them shared Supreme Flame, so heat control was easy.

[Meat!]

A dragon, who had been sleeping in a corner of the island, came charging over.

Its body was dozens of meters long.

The red-haired man grimaced at the sight of it.

“Hey! Why are you even fatter than before?”

[Meat!]

“You just said ‘meat,’ didn’t you?”

[Meatttt!!]

“Yeah, yeah, fine. Seriously, I’ve never seen a dragon as fat as you. Can you even fly?”

The red-haired man tossed it a perfectly grilled piece of pork.

The red dragon bit into it—then promptly spat it out.

[Beef! Beef! BEEEEEEF!]

“Why do I understand that thing when I don’t even speak Draconic?”

“I understood too.”

“Same.”

“Pfft, our lord doesn’t take him out on missions anymore, so that thing’s living the good life.”

“He’s old. They say he won’t live much longer. Might as well let him enjoy good food.”

“He’ll still outlive us, probably. Anyway, he should be here by now…”

Vwoooooom!

Before he could finish, a flight car flew in and landed.

A chubby man jumped out in a rush.

“Hey! Iron Fist! I’m not late, right?!”

“You’re right on time.”

“What about Sword Star?”

“He’s resting inside. Seems busy. He said to call him when everyone’s here.”

“Phew, thank god. Hey, Red, how’ve you been?”

[Give me beef!]

“Sunsoo-hyung! Long time no see!”

“Been a while, Sajeh.”

“Hyung. What, no hello for me?”

“Didn’t I see you yesterday, you punk?”

The chubby man grabbed a grilled sausage.

The twin-pistols man grilling sausages scowled.

“Hyung! Warrior hyung is supposed to get the first bite!”

“I just had a taste, just a taste.”

“Come on!”

“Don’t get so worked up over food. Ta-da! Guess what I brought!”

The chubby man shook out his clutch bag.

A bunch of unidentifiable meats tumbled out.

The man in papal robes swallowed hard.

“This isn’t… dragon meat, is it?”

“Bingo! Edible dragon meat, a specialty of the Draco Union. Top-grade stuff.”

“Man, those guys are weird. Why do dragons eat each other?”

“They say it’s a different species. Supposedly edible dragons are closer to crocodiles than dragons.”

“Crocodiles? Ugh!”

“What’s the big deal? Crocodile meat is delicious. Anyway, let’s throw this on the grill too.”

“Yes, yes, Chairman.”

“Chairman? Please. I’m just a figurehead.”

“Warrior hyung barely cares about the company anyway.”

“True.”

“Sunsoo-hyung’s the real number one.”

And dragon meat wasn’t all he brought.

He pulled out the finest elf wine, World Tree fruits, golden naengmyeon—an endless bounty poured out.

While they cooked and seasoned everything—

guests continued to arrive.

Ziiiiing.

Space split like it had been slashed by a sword.

Out stepped a woman in full-body steel heavy armor.

Flash!

From the opposite side, a blood-red blaze streaked across the world—

and a short Indian-mixed-race warrior woman appeared.

The female knight and warrior locked eyes.

CRAAAAACK!

A blade was drawn without hesitation!

A pitch-black longsword and a blood-hued curved blade clashed with a thunderous roar.

A shockwave swept across the entire island—

But before it could explode, another blade suppressed it.

A katana that disrupted the very flow of force by striking the vital point.

The owner of the demonic blade Masamune looked at the knight and warrior with exasperation.

“Hey. If you’re gonna spar, do it in another dimension. You realize one of your real fights could wipe out a country, right?”

“It was just a light greeting.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”

“Seriously, you two never stop talking back. Ugh, why did our teacher raise you like this? Taught you swordsmanship but no manners, so now you’re like this.”

“Actually, I learned the most from unni—”

“Shut it!”

The owner of Masamune—the female swordswoman—snapped.

The knight and the warrior shrank back instinctively.

One was the Goddess of Vengeance.

The other, the Goddess of Massacre.

They’d slaughtered every human experimenter across the globe and executed countless tyrants who had crossed the line.

Even they were afraid of the swordswoman.

“Waaaah!”

“There, there, I’m sorry, sweetie. Mama’s sorry. Shhh.”

The toddler in her arms began to cry.

A boy, maybe just past one.

But no matter how she rocked him, the crying wouldn’t stop.

In fact, he started bawling even louder.

Unable to watch anymore, the man in the suit beside her took the child.

“I’ll handle it. Shoo shoo shoo~”

He held the child and made all sorts of bizarre expressions.

He puckered his lips, wrinkled his forehead, and stuck out his tongue.

“Ehehehe!”

The baby stopped crying immediately.

Then began to giggle.

The female knight and warrior burst into delighted laughter.

“He’s like a real angel!”

“But why does he cry harder when you try to calm him down, unni?”

“Unni’s never once been able to calm him properly.”

“If it weren’t for Woojin oppa, it would’ve been a disaster. Seriously.”

“He puts up with it because he’s Woojin oppa. If it were anyone else, Sorin unni would’ve lived alone until she died.”

“Hey! You little—!”

“Ahahahaha!”

The warrior woman ran away, laughing.

In terms of raw speed, she was the fastest of the four.

The knight tried to intervene but was caught by the swordswoman.

“Unni! That hurts!”

“It’s supposed to hurt, you little brat!”

“I said it hurts!”

“You’re level 9! What do you mean it hurts?! You’re dying today, just so you know!”

“Hyunwoo’s watching!”

“He’s just barely a year old. What’s he gonna see? Take this!”

“Argh! That really hurts!”

The man in the suit shook his head.

“Good grief.”

He loved that she was youthful and full of life, but sometimes it was a lot to handle.

Cradling the child, he walked over to the men grilling meat.

“It’s been a while. Chairman. President. CEO. Your Holiness.”

“Hahaha, indeed it has.”

“Must be sweet in newlywed bliss.”

“Well, it’s fun, but I do get the occasional headache.”

“Still, glad to hear you’re doing well. You two really suit each other.”

“A level 9 couple—aren’t you Earth’s ultimate power couple?”

“Haha. I’d like to think so.”

The man in the suit glanced toward the villa on the edge of the island.

“And the teacher?”

“He’s resting. Shall I go fetch him? Everyone’s gathered now.”

“Yes, please. It might be the only way to calm things down.”

He said this while watching the swordswoman and knight bicker.

The chubby man immediately dashed off.

“Just a moment! I’ll bring him right away!”

“You don’t need to go yourself…”

“No, no! This is my duty!”

A chairman of a colossal multinational company, personally handling such trivial tasks.

But there wasn’t the slightest hint of resentment.

His face was full of joy as he ran.

The red-haired man muttered while sorting the grilled meat.

“Chairman Choi really has changed a lot.”

“Has he?”

“Yes. When I first met him, he was just a local thug. He used to prey on the poor and powerless to survive.”

“But he changed after meeting the teacher?”

“Yes. At first, he only approached him to make money, but when our lord risked his life to save him… that was the turning point. Giving him full control over the business also had a big impact.”

“A man will give his life for someone who truly recognizes him.”

“I agree. To be honest, I’ve changed just as much. Who would’ve thought a back-alley gangster who used to extort protection money would one day become the President of the Protector Alliance?”

“Hahaha.”

The man in the suit gave a sheepish laugh.

The man in papal robes and the twin-pistols man watched them with warm smiles.

“Sword Star! Sword Star!”

The chubby man called out from in front of the villa.

“Everyone’s here!”

[Is that so?]

A clear mental wave echoed back.

[I’ll be right out.]

Inside the villa.

More precisely, the pure white beach within its grounds.

A man slowly sat up from a sunbed.

[What day is it today? All my disciples and companions have gathered.]

An old man with a long, curling beard and a tall wizard’s hat.

A palm-sized projection appeared beside him and spoke.

[Merlin. Don’t tell me you forgot.]

An angel with seven pairs of wings and two halos hovering behind her, also in projection, scolded the old man.

[It’s May 30th today.]

[And?]

[What, did you get dementia in your old age? Today’s the day. The day the Saintess’s summoning ritual activated!]

[Ah, today was that day? How long has it been? Ten years now!]

[You just remembered? Tsk tsk. What happened to the genius mage I used to know? All I see now is a senile old man.]

[Hey! Gibril, you and I are the same age! Same age!]

[Yeah, well, I’m still spry thanks to the blessing of the divine! I still look like I’m in my twenties!]

[Neither of us have bodies anymore—we’re just spirit forms. What twenties are you talking about?]

The old man snorted.

The angel spun around behind the man.

[Is it really that fun, though? You should try one of those full-immersion virtual reality games instead. Didn’t a perfect one just come out recently?]

“It’s just not my style.”

[Too brutal for you, huh? You’ve gone soft living in such a gentle world.]

“I just find this game the most fun.”

[I made it, but even I don’t get it.]

[You? I made it! All you did was link dimensions!]

[You don’t remember having me audit the whole system?]

[Oh, so you contributed like 1%, huh?]

[You geezer! If I hadn’t linked dimensions, Earth would’ve been destroyed already!]

[And if I hadn’t created this dimensional terminal, it would’ve been doomed anyway!]

[You wrinkly old fart with a million creases!]

[You freakish hag who can’t even age properly!]

“Hahaha…”

The man gave an awkward smile.

“Please, enough bickering.”

[Ahem. Forgive us. You saw something you shouldn’t have.]

[Still fun, wasn’t it?]

“You both stay so youthful. It’s admirable.”

[See? He said it was fun.]

[Sigh… Gibril…]

The old man shook his head and vanished somewhere.

The angel quickly spread her wings and flew after him.

[Wait! I’m coming too!]

They were always like that—thick as thieves.

The man chuckled once, then stepped forward.

Shhh. Shhhh.

His shoes made a soft sound as they brushed the sand.

Back on the empty sunbed—

a transparent device hovered in the air.

Only the man could see it. Only he could control it.

A dimensional terminal resembling a tablet PC.

Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.

It vibrated intermittently.

The internet feed showed a scrolling wave of comments.

[Is EX Warrior Kim for real?]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[The whale-killer pay-to-win slayer did it again.]
[Mu1 is here!]
[What’s Mu1?]
[Free-to-play Rank 1.]
[He got Rank 1 without spending a dime? Is that even possible?]
[If it’s Warrior Kim, it’s totally possible.]

Then the game screen.

Just a few logs remained over a Colosseum background.

[IroncladSupreme] Please, have mercy. Don’t you have any other characters?
[FreeToPlayKillsAll] Fine, I’ll set it to auto then.
[FreeToPlayKillsAll wins!]
[FreeToPlayKillsAll] gg
[IroncladSupreme] Raaaaagh!
[IroncladSupreme] Warrior Kim, this game is trash! Gaaah!

The dimensional terminal entered sleep mode and dimmed.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, magical lanterns lit up brightly.

“Kyaaa!”

“Wasn’t it Seohyunwoo? He’s grown so much.”

“Of course! He just turned one!”

“Congratulations. Want me to give a blessing?”

“Really? We’d be honored!”

Night had fallen, but the world wasn’t dark.

Lanterns glowing from the ground—

and a giggling baby grabbing his first item in the traditional celebration.

That soft, heartwarming feeling.

Warrior Kim set his sword down and smiled in peace.

[The End]

---

Author’s Note

Trait Hoarder has come to an end.

After winning the Grand Prize in the Munpia contest, this series has been blessed with more love than I deserve. Thanks to all of you readers, I was able to reclaim the confidence I’d lost for a time.

My next work will likely be another Arcane-punk piece, like Trait Hoarder, though it’s a tough genre, so I plan to take my time preparing it properly.

Spring is just around the corner, but the weather is still cold, and the winter winds remain harsh. I hope every one of you stays warm, healthy, and safe.

Thank you—truly, thank you.

Wishing you happiness, always.

– A cholera-ridden coral reef drifting in from the South Pacific –

---

Translator’s Note

And we are finally finished!

Man, this was a hard novel to translate. Literally hundreds of skill names with multiple possible translations. My .txt file that I keep to try to maintain consistency was well over 20kb.

While I know that I’ve gotten names of skills and some titles mixed some times, I hope you all enjoyed the novel non the less.

See you in the next novel I translate,

MattReading.

–TL Notes–
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