Trait Hoarder

Kalaratri — Part 2

My body felt heavy.

It also felt like it was being torn apart.

As if dozens of swords had been driven into me.

“Urgh.”

Using the Black Tiger Sword as a staff, I pushed myself up.

Baek Sorin pulled a top-grade healing potion from her bag and held it out.

“Teacher! Drink this!”

“This stuff is expensive. Where’d you get it?”

That much was obvious.

Just from the way Kali casually pulled out an elixir earlier.

Pop!

I drank the healing potion.

My torn flesh mended rapidly.

Thanks to my recovery-type traits, my depleted mana also surged back in an instant.

Standing tall, I turned my gaze inward.

[Mars Swordsmanship] [Nephilim Sword] [Kalaratri]

Finally, I had gathered all three sword arts.

They burned brightly within my mana circuits.

Baek Sorin gripped her sword and looked at me.

“Teacher! How about a match?”

“Sounds good. All three of you, come at me.”

“Huh? All of us?”

“You’re going to regret that…”

“With your Heavenly Demon Physique, wouldn’t it be fair if all three of you fought me?”

“That’s true.”

Baek Sorin made sense, but Janet and Kali had also picked up the habit.

The moment they saw me get stronger, they wanted to spar.

Honestly, I felt the same.

I was curious to see how much I could overwhelm three SSR-tier fighters.

The three spread out, surrounding me.

Each drew their weapons.

Baek Sorin wielded the Demon Blade Masamune, Janet gripped the Black Sword, and Kali kept her Holy Sword at her waist while holding the blood-red dagger.

Swoooosh.

The chaotic torrents swept over us.

A shiver ran through me.

Condensed mana licked at my circuits, signaling an explosion of killing intent.

“Haaahp!”

Baek Sorin struck first.

A runaway train charged toward me.

Mars Swordsmanship, enhanced by her expertise in sword combat, targeted me with lethal precision!

[Mars Swordsmanship] [Close-Combat Mastery] [Grand Assault]

[Giant’s Strength] [Vajra Body] [Undying]

My counter—Mars Build.

Instead of [Swordmaster], I chose [Close-Combat Mastery].

In my left hand, I deployed Aegis while gripping Mjolnir.

That was why I prioritized combat techniques over pure swordsmanship.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

I blocked Masamune with Aegis.

Then, I drove in with the Black Tiger Sword.

A brutal, close-quarters brawl erupted.

Thrusting, slashing, colliding, kicking, punching—relentless bloodshed.

Sliiide.

A shadow rose behind me.

No sound. No trace.

I barely sensed it with the Prophet’s Ring and my Golden Dragon Eyes.

Crack!

[Kalaratri] [Thunderbolt] [One-Man Army]

[Insight] [Sixth Sense] [Dance]

My being ascended.

My body became lightning, leaving only the Black Tiger Sword.

Its edge crackled with thunder.

A blade of lightning materialized, sweeping through my surroundings.

Baek Sorin, right in front of me.

Kali, emerging from behind, above, and below.

Following the Mars Swordsmanship techniques, I slashed through them all in an instant.

“Guh!”

“Ahh!”

Originally, Kalaratri had insane properties—armor penetration, critical damage multiplier between x3 and x10.

All thanks to its Shadow Step and Time Manipulation traits.

But inheriting it didn’t change its effects.

At least, not normally.

Lore-wise, its properties could shift based on the wielder’s traits.

Was it because of [Thunderbolt]?

My version of Kalaratri was entirely different.

With Acceleration, Blink, and Astral Projection, I moved at absurd speeds, untouchable.

And my attacks carried an electric attribute.

Whenever I landed a hit, my condensed mana exploded, dealing massive damage.

While my attack power might not match the original’s critical multiplier, my stability and mobility had vastly improved.

“Come at me!”

Janet roared, seizing an opportunity.

[Innate Qi] [Mana Soul] [Vajra Body]

[Shield Mastery] [Taunt] [Nephilim Sword]

She had been working hard.

Her Shield Technique had evolved into [Shield Mastery].

She even picked up [Taunt].

If we could refine it into a Lion’s Roar-type ability, she’d be unstoppable.

I focused on Janet and lunged.

[Nephilim Sword] [Swordmaster] [Mana Soul]

[Black Tiger Invincible Sword Art] [Thor Cultivation Technique] [Focus]

Black and white sword energy flared from my blade.

Janet’s face tensed.

She braced her entire body, gripping the Black Sword with both hands.

I held mine with one.

She assumed an ironclad defensive stance—but it wasn’t enough.

Boom!

With a thunderous impact, Janet was sent flying.

“Janet!”

“That’s dangerous!”

Baek Sorin and Kali charged in.

Janet quickly recovered and lunged as well.

All three attacked simultaneously.

Baek Sorin, striking with terrifying ferocity.

Janet, unleashing her overwhelming sword energy.

Kali, attacking from the shadows with surgical precision.

They were impressive.

Even as their teacher, they were a real threat to me.

It was almost unbelievable that Janet and Kali were still only level 5.

Even with trait swapping, blocking them wouldn’t be easy.

Just as I gripped the Black Tiger Sword with one hand—

A thought struck me.

‘What if I didn’t swap traits… but used them all at once?’

Mars Swordsmanship—an aggressive combat style.

Nephilim Sword—a technique harnessing pure sword energy.

Kalaratri—a psychic sword art.

I had never considered it before.

But the way I had just countered Baek Sorin and Kali together gave me an idea.

[Mars Swordsmanship] [Nephilim Sword] [Kalaratri]

[Swordmaster] [Mana Soul] [Vajra Body]

I changed my equipped traits.

I centered all three sword arts around [Swordmaster].

I chose [Mana Soul] to sustain the inevitable mana drain.

I equipped [Vajra Body] to distribute the recoil.

And then—

Fwoooosh!

I slashed my sword.

Long.

In a zigzag.

Like a bolt of lightning.

Spinning my body.

Aiming at all three of them.

One single strike.

Crack-boom!

A deep, rolling thunder echoed.

I became lightning and tore through the world.

A trail of black and white fissures followed in my wake.

The attack followed the form dictated by Mars Swordsmanship—

Not a simple linear charge, but a sweeping, circular strike.

Fwoooosh!

“Gah!”

“Hrk!”

All three of them coughed up blood and were sent flying.

Baek Sorin’s [Nine Lives] activated.

Janet’s magic shield shattered completely.

Kali was in the worst shape.

She tried to rewind time on herself using her Time Manipulation, but it wasn’t working properly—she kept vomiting blood.

“Damn it! Are you—urgh!”

I wasn’t unscathed either.

My heart felt like it had been crushed, and my entire mana circuit burned violently.

Signs of an impending mana overload.

[Indomitable] [Undying] [Mana Soul]

[Regeneration] [Healing] [Mana Stabilization]

I quickly switched traits and drank a high-grade holy water.

Then I rushed to Kali, feeding her a top-grade healing potion and holy water.

Her injuries were too severe for anything less.

Adding [Healing Hands] on top of that, she finally opened her eyes.

“Heh…”

Kali looked up at me and smiled.

“I thought I was gonna die…”

Then she promptly passed out.

“Cough, cough!”

“Hic… hic!”

Baek Sorin and Janet weren’t much better off, barely clinging to life.

I handed them healing potions and holy water, using [Healing Hands] again.

Their pale, blood-drained faces slowly returned to normal.

“Teacher. What the hell was that?”

“That was way too painful… Are you okay? You have blood on your lips.”

“Me? I’m fine.”

“Wait… you didn’t use all three sword arts at the same time, did you?”

“That’s exactly what I did.”

“That’s insane! You’ll die doing that!”

I smacked my lips.

Using all three sword arts at once—it was strong, no doubt.

But was it stronger than cycling through traits? Not necessarily.

By swapping traits, I could incorporate different supporting abilities.

‘What if I fused all three?’

Not just using them together—

What if I combined them into one?

If I could create an entirely new trait from them?

An ability that was an attack, a buff, a mana cultivation technique, and even an invincibility movement skill all at once.

If I could achieve that—

Then even Heavenly Demon Cultivation wouldn’t stand a chance.

‘Let’s do it.’

I didn’t know the formula.

I had no idea how to merge them.

But I would figure it out.

Because if I succeeded, it would become the ultimate trait—

The strongest sword art ever created.

“Ughhh, I’m gonna die…”

“You could’ve gone easier on us.”

“I’m just too strong. But still, Janet and Kali aside, Sorin, you shouldn’t have gone down that easily. You’re level 6.”

“I seriously thought I was gonna die. Ugh! And just so you know, I’m not leaving here until I reach level 7. Got it? I’ll get to level 7 before you, Teacher!”

“Level 7? I’m almost at level 7 already.”

“What?”

“If I gather the materials here and make an elixir, I’ll hit level 7.”

“For real?”

Baek Sorin and Janet’s eyes widened.

“Yeah.”

Since I was already in the Great Rift, I might as well make the most of it.

Leaving them to rest, I stood up.

Before hunting extradimensional beings, there was something else to do first.

I stepped into the chaotic torrents swirling around us.

Fwoooosh!

Gray chaos surged over me.

[Indomitable] [Magic Resistance] [Fire Resistance]

[Black Flame] [Deep Breath] [Mana Absorption]

The temperature wasn’t as hot as it looked.

But the twisted mana crept into my body, into my circuits.

Trying to warp my flesh and mana flow—trying to turn me into a monster.

[Mutant] [Mutant Muscle] [Mutant Body]

Traits I hadn’t used in ages stirred awake.

I smirked and sank deeper into the chaos.

My whole body tingled.

Before long, my fingertips started twitching and mutating grotesquely.

“Teacher! Your body—!”

“Oh, it’s fine. Sorin, toss me a holy water from my golf bag. Not the top-grade, just a mid-grade one.”

“Shouldn’t you drink the top-grade?”

“Mid-grade is enough.”

I drank the holy water and discarded the bottle.

Mid-grade wasn’t a big deal.

But it worked.

With [Indomitable]’s built-in purification effect, my warped fingers returned to normal.

I repeated this process over and over.

Dancing on the edge of transformation.

Every time my [Mutant] traits threatened to forcibly activate, I drank holy water.

Baek Sorin watched with an appalled expression.

“You even put yourself through this kind of thing?”

I had done something similar to give her [Indomitable] before.

Relaxing in the chaotic torrents, I replied,

“I push myself just as hard as I push others.”

“This isn’t just ‘hard.’ This is hell.”

I stayed like that for a while.

But instead of developing a Chaos-related trait, something unexpected appeared.

[Rest]

Apparently, my body mistook the chaotic immersion for a hot spring bath.

A soothing sensation spread through me, rapidly restoring my stamina and mana.

Maybe I should remove [Fire Resistance] and [Black Flame]?

If I turned this into self-inflicted torture instead of relaxation, would that work?

While pondering that—

A strange energy finally formed within my heart.

I reached out and pulled at it—gray flames flickered unnaturally in my palm.

The trait: [Chaos Infusion].

Its direct attack power was low, but it was an excellent debuff tool.

Striking with Chaos Infusion inflicted all sorts of status effects—fear, paralysis, berserk, confusion.

It also negated affinity restrictions on flame-based traits.

Meaning, I could now use mage-exclusive skills like Sunfire and Dragon Sovereign Fire.

Not that I could use Sunfire anyway, thanks to my pact.

‘But that’s not the important part.’

This was the final missing piece of Ultimate Transcendence.

All that was left was to process the Golden Dragon’s Heart into a trait elixir—then everything would be complete.

Of course, just like with [Swordmaster], I needed to build achievements first.

“It’s done.”

“Ugh… You worked hard.”

“You too, unni. That must’ve been rough. What I went through was nothing compared to that.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? It was even worse for me back then.”

“I’m going hunting. Wanna come?”

“Of course!”

We woke Kali and set off to hunt.

It wasn’t easy.

But it wasn’t difficult either.

Great Maw Giants, Void Ghouls, Abyssal Horses—three types of monsters.

All of them had to be level 7 kills, but there were always lone wanderers.

It wasn’t like dealing with Starborn, where every single one was boss-tier.

I could’ve handled it alone, but I hunted with my disciples on purpose.

“Watch out!”

“Haaahp!”

“Here I go!”

The hunt went smoothly.

After extracting the magic cores, I butchered the corpses and handed the byproducts to them.

“Sell these at the Protector Alliance. You’ll earn contribution points.”

“What about you, Teacher?”

“I’ve got too much contribution already. It’s a problem.”

It was all because of the Stigma Overcoming Technique.

Even now, new techniques were being developed.

And each time, my contribution points increased.

I was the first to spread it, so it was like receiving royalties.

“Janet, if you just make yourself a trait elixir, you’ll hit level 6.”

“Yes. I can feel it.”

“In the Great Rift, there’s a monster called the Behemoth Lion. It’s level 6—hunt it, boil its heart with nectar, and drink it. The Protector Alliance has the recipe, so ask them for it.”

“The Behemoth Lion?”

“Yeah. A monster that looks like a mix of a tiger, a lion, and a human.”

The reason was simple.

The Behemoth Lion’s heart contained [Lion’s Roar].

If Janet could swap out [Taunt] for [Lion’s Roar], her trait progression would be complete.

After that, she just had to level up.

Baek Sorin suddenly chimed in.

“What about me? What about me?”

“Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’ll hit level 7 soon and become a Swordmaster. Once that happens, there won’t be much that can stop you.”

“Then will I be able to beat you, Teacher?”

“Keep dreaming.”

“Ugh, figures.”

I handed them a generous amount of nectar.

Baek Sorin didn’t need it, but Janet and Kali did.

“For now, stay here, hunt, and train. Real combat is the best teacher. Sorin, take good care of them.”

“Leave it to me!”

“What about you, Teacher? Are you heading back to Seoul?”

“Yeah. I need a Reconstruction Elixir.”

“Because of your Heavenly Demon Physique? We heard we don’t need one until level 7.”

That’s just because you guys are SSR-tier.

I chuckled and waved a hand.

“I’ll be calling you soon. Until then, get as strong as possible. Make sure you have a fixed base where you can receive messages from the Protector Alliance.”

“Why? What’s happening?”

“This is just my guess, but I think something’s about to go down in Seoul. Something similar to the last terrorist attack.”

“A terrorist attack…”

Their eyes changed.

The Seoul Terror Incident.

We managed to stop it, but it almost became the worst catastrophe since the founding of Korea.

In the game, it actually was the worst—until Episode 2, when the zombie outbreak began.

“There’s not much time left. Get as strong as you can. You two did great last time, Sorin, Janet, but this time, you’ll have to contribute even more.”

“Of course!”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I’ll kill every last one of those bastards!”

Kali clenched her fists tightly.

She nearly died during the last attack—it made sense that she’d take this personally.

I patted each of their shoulders.

“See you soon.”

“Yes!”

“Stay safe!”

“We’ll be even stronger next time!”

I rode Red Cougar back.

With all the materials prepared, I followed Gaia’s blueprint to craft the Reconstruction Elixir and drank the Dragon Sovereign Fire trait elixir.

The result—

[Congratulations, Master.]

I had reached level 7.

–TL Notes–

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