Trait Hoarder-Chapter 213 The Darkness of the Eastern Army – Part 3

The Darkness of the Eastern Army – Part 3

I nodded slightly.

“Go ahead.”

“Good. Then let’s talk over—”

“No. Say it here.”

Did they really think I wouldn’t see through their little tricks?

The Second Division Commander frowned.

“Sword Star, must you do this?”

“Requesting a private conversation with an external investigator seems inappropriate to me.”

“It’ll only take a moment. Just a moment.”

“I have nothing to discuss. Just know that, as the Legion Commander stated, this investigation will be conducted with no sanctuary.”

Both the Second and Third Division Commanders clenched their brows in frustration.

At that moment, Old Man Gu stepped beside me and scoffed.

“Look at them trembling in fear, worried their dirty secrets will be exposed. Sword Star, do your best. I believe this is our last chance. If we don’t cut out the rot now, our army will be in serious trouble within a few years.”

“Are you sure you’ll be fine with this?”

“Hmm? Hahaha. Don’t worry about me. If you commit a crime, you pay the price. I’ve already accepted that. But… there is one thing I’d like to ask.”

“Tell me.”

Was he about to ask me to go easy on his faction?

Even if he had let go of his own ambitions, his disciples and children surely hadn’t.

But Old Man Gu said something I hadn’t expected.

“This investigation will reveal the darkest sides of our army. But I want you to remember—not all of our soldiers are corrupt. While the upper ranks may be rotten, the lower-ranking officers and enlisted soldiers still hold onto their purity and dedication.”

“That’s unexpected.”

“What is?”

“I thought you were going to ask me to show leniency.”

“This guy…”

Old Man Gu playfully smacked my back.

“I may have been buried in filth once, but I learned something when I lost to you. Without pain, there is no progress. And those who cannot progress are as good as dead. This ordeal will be painful for our army. But it’s far better than rotting away completely. Whether it’s me, my children, or my disciples—dig out every last speck of dirt. Do it the same way you broke my arm. I will never resent you for it.”

That was the end of it.

Old Man Gu clicked his tongue at the Second and Third Division Commanders before walking past them.

And just like that, he disappeared beyond the door.

Muttering followed behind him.

“Tch. Acting like some enlightened monk.”

“Since when did he start talking like that?”

“The worst of us all…”

“They say people start acting strange before they die. Maybe he’s already picked out his funeral date?”

With Old Man Gu stirring things up, no one else dared to approach me.

I turned and left the room.

Waiting outside with a weary face was Gu Hyungwon.

“So you really went through with it.”

‘A punch really is the best teacher.’

One hit, and his tone had completely changed.

I tapped the Black Tiger Sword hanging from my waist.

“The Legion Commander entrusted this to me. I won’t stand by and watch the army fall into ruin.”

“Hahaha…”

Gu Hyungwon let out a faint laugh.

“It won’t be easy. Defeating me once doesn’t mean you can handle the Eastern Army.”

“I know. That’s why I’m doing this.”

I walked past him.

As I stepped into the elevator, I pressed the button for the executive floor—where my new office was.

“The last thing I want is for the Eastern Army to fall into a coma.”

“What do you mean by that?”

I had no intention of explaining.

Ding!

I pressed the close button and descended.

My office was still being set up.

Soldiers bustled around, arranging furniture and setting up computers.

At a glance, everything was top-of-the-line.

Multiple high-resolution monitors, a magical hologram generator, a mana-conducting keyboard, a 3D spatial mouse, a portable tablet PC, and even a wrist-mounted synchronized device—everything was cutting-edge.

“Salute!”

“Sir, when should we begin operations?”

“Please wait a moment! We just received the orders!”

They were working fast.

Then again, this was an era where touching your watch or glasses was enough to process entire documents.

There was no need to painstakingly draft reports and upload them manually to an intranet.

I waited while sipping coffee.

The soldiers were impressively efficient.

In less than 30 minutes, my office was fully set up.

I finished my coffee, set the cup aside, and took a seat at my desk.

‘Let’s begin immediately.’

There was no reason to delay.

Thinking back to the game, I already knew where to start.

Bzzzzzt.

I powered on the computer.

On the multi-array monitors, I pulled up the Eastern Army’s financial records.

With authority nearly equal to the Legion Commander’s, I had unrestricted access to classified documents, budget reports, and expenditure records.

Operational progress, results, business trips, and even leave records—all were available.

Follow the money. Follow the people.

Those were the keys.

If they had funded everything with personal assets, it would have been a headache to track.

Unfortunately for them, the Eastern Army’s superhumans weren’t that meticulous.

They had freely dipped into the military budget and discreetly assigned missions to their faction members.

‘Just find the largest expenses.’

That was how things played out in the Eastern Army character’s personal quest.

‘If a Black Tiger Clan officer took a trip to Seoul… that’s undeniable evidence.’

This wouldn’t be an easy task.

I had never done anything like this before.

And the Eastern Army was massive, governing all of Cheorwon State.

The sheer volume of personnel and paperwork was overwhelming.

Even a skilled accountant would have to pull multiple all-nighters to piece everything together.

But I had an overpowered cheat—Trait Swap.

[Bright Eyes] [Sixth Sense] [Sharp Vision]

[Understanding] [Brilliance] [Focus]

I equipped every trait that could help.

I stared intently at the multi-array monitors.

One more thing.

I referenced the events from the game.

‘There were several incidents comparable to the Seongsu-dong Factory.’

At least five came to mind immediately.

— Myeong-dong Corpse Merchants’ Alliance

— Sangam Brain Modification Center

— Yeouido Bio-Computer Research Facility

— Gangnam Club Underground Fighting Arena

— Nowon District Underground Mage Tower

These locations were only uncovered after the episodes progressed.

More precisely, after the Legion Commander’s death.

The Division Commanders had unleashed the monstrous forces and twisted research hidden within these places, using them to wage a brutal civil war.

‘Myeong-dong, Sangam, Yeouido, Gangnam, Nowon… They’re all R&D facilities.’

I swiftly scrolled through the data.

I filtered the external research funding section and pulled it onto my monitors.

One by one, I analyzed each entry, determining whether it was relevant or not.

After a while, my scrolling fingers stopped.

Click. Click.

‘Bingo.’

[A study on the effects of real combat in the arena on level progression]

At first glance, nothing seemed unusual.

A reasonable study.

After all, the Eastern Army, filled with warrior-class superhumans, would naturally be interested in such research.

But what if those superhumans were forcibly stripped of their abilities?

What if they weren’t fighting against other people, but against contaminants, monsters, and beasts?

What if, just before death, they were knocked unconscious and extracted—only to be healed and thrown right back into combat against the same opponent?

‘What is this, Unit 731?’

The documents alone didn’t reveal much.

But I cross-referenced them with other records, pointing out the excessive funding allocations and the repeated business trips taken by high-ranking Eastern Army officers.

For the finishing blow, I mobilized Eastern Army Military Police.

I ordered them to raid the targeted Gangnam Club immediately.

[Breaking News: This is a report from a well-known nightclub in Gangnam. This club, famous for its massive scale, luxurious interior, and frequent celebrity guests, has been revealed to be operating a large-scale illegal fighting arena underground. Our correspondent, Kim Jooyoon, has more.]

[Yes, this is Kim Jooyoon reporting. Just one hour ago, this location was an active underground fighting ring. According to domestic law, superhuman versus superhuman combat is legal. However, superhumans fighting monsters, beasts, or contaminants is strictly prohibited.

But as you can see, this club was illegally importing creatures and forcing superhumans with sealed abilities to fight them…]

The Gangnam Club Raid happened within a single day.

No one in the Eastern Army expected it.

The club certainly hadn’t anticipated it.

There were even a few Level 5 superhumans present.

But with Seo Woojin, Kim Chulkwon, Kim Mabeob, and Kim Saje leading the operation, they were completely overrun.

And the biggest problem?

Even with all this happening, an Eastern Army Brigade Commander was being wined and dined in the VVIP room.

He tried to cover his face and flee, but Seo Woojin caught him red-handed.

Now, this was the result.

No matter which TV channel I turned to, breaking news reports were flooding the screens.

“What an absolute disgrace. This is humiliating!”

“Damn it! Why the hell is Lee Jungwon there too?!”

“The Second Division Commander must have sent him.”

“Didn’t rumors say the Second Division Commander funded this whole thing?”

“If you want to train with ability suppression, do it yourself. Why force others? And with monsters?!”

“Jesus, they were even kidnapping people? This is insanity.”

“Wait. That guy—wasn’t he someone I arrested and threw in prison?”

“…Holy shit! Look at that!”

“What? What is it? Oh… The Legion Commander just arrived?!”

“When did he get there?”

“Looks like he went as soon as he saw the breaking news.”

“Makes sense. The Legion Commander absolutely loathes this kind of thing.”

“How many people are losing their ranks over this?”

“Ranks? They’ll be lucky if they’re only stripped of their positions. Some of them are headed straight for the stockade—or worse, prison.”

“Honestly, with the Legion Commander’s temper, I wouldn’t be surprised if heads start rolling.”

The Legion Commander wasn’t furious just for show.

I had asked him for a favor.

In the morning, I had gone to him with a report and requested that he temporarily step back.

It would be much easier to clean up the trash that way.

I finished my meal and got up from my seat.

The gazes around me were split in half—half wary, half awed.

This was only because we were in a soldiers’ cafeteria.

If I had gone to the officers’ dining hall, all I’d get would be pure hostility.

‘The stage is set. Now, let’s see you move.

Surely, you won’t just sit back and do nothing, right? Right?’

Old Man Gu might stay quiet.

But the Second and Third Division Commanders definitely wouldn’t.

Even in the game, they had used various methods to pressure the player.

They had attempted assassinations, issued direct threats, and even held unified meetings to strip away investigation authority.

As I returned from lunch, I suddenly felt a burning sensation around my neck.

The Prophet’s Ring was reacting.

At the same time, my danger sense triggered.

One of the traits included in [Bright Eyes] was working.

‘Tch. These bastards are so predictable.’

With X-ray vision, I could see through walls and objects.

Hidden right under my desk, something new had appeared.

A red-highlighted, mana-infused, cube-shaped device.

A magic bomb.

Not just any bomb.

Judging by the mana output, if it exploded while I was off-guard, even a Level 7 superhuman would take serious damage.

Was that all?

No.

Five concentrated mana signals were approaching.

Right on cue, just as I had predicted.

‘Five Swordmasters.’

5 vs. 1.

For an average superhuman, an unwinnable fight.

But I didn’t run.

Instead, I straightened my posture and walked into my office.

At the same time, I laughed to myself as I tracked the incoming mana signatures.

‘Guess they didn’t learn their lesson?’

One of them had a familiar energy signature.

I had let him go with just a warning last time.

And now he was back for more.

This time, I would shatter their limbs completely.

Leisurely, I took a seat at my desk.

Powered on the computer.

As I reclined in my chair, I mentally calculated the explosion’s yield.

Just as I placed my fingers on the mana-conducting keyboard and reached for the spatial mouse—

BOOM!

A blinding white flash consumed everything.

A blast wave roared like an airstrike.

A deafening explosion pounded my eardrums over and over again.

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“Uwaah!”

The orderly on duty screamed in shock.

But I remained calm.

My left hand was already extended.

Aegis had activated, blocking the explosion head-on and minimizing the damage.

[Shield Mastery] [Mana Shield] [Domain Barrier]

[Mana Armor] [Mana Barrier] [Defense]

A quad-layered defense—something I hadn’t used in a while.

A bit disappointing.

If I had [Fortress], I could have created [Celestial Wall], the strongest defense trait in Arcane Seoul.

I’d have to find [Fortress] later when I had time.

Rumble! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The explosion went off several more times.

But only in the opposite direction from me.

My barriers were too strong, preventing even a single scratch from reaching me.

Neither my computer nor the orderly sitting in front of me was harmed.

I coldly observed the aftermath.

Was that why?

The [Cold Rationality] effect from the Dragon Monarch’s Crown took effect, making my already sharp mind even colder and clearer.

Acquired the trait: [Calm].

‘Just two more magical brain traits left.’

Muttering to myself, I stared straight ahead.

A massive hole had been blown in the wall.

A section of Tiger’s Tower had collapsed.

Thankfully, there had been no casualties, but from the outside, the destruction must have looked catastrophic.

And for the swordsmen who had come hunting for me, there could be no better opportunity.

“Go in!”

“We have to finish this before Father returns!”

“This ends here. Understood?”

“The bastard clearly has some immortality ability. We have to behead him!”

“If we let him live, he’ll dismantle our entire army. He must die!”

Familiar voices.

I remained seated, welcoming them.

Silhouettes flickered through the dust before five figures emerged.

Exactly the faces I had expected.

Second Division Commander.

Third Division Commander.

Their Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff.

And finally…

Fourth Division Commander, Gu Hyungwon.

“…Huh?”

Gu Hyungwon blurted out in disbelief when he saw me.

The desk was wrecked, shattered and broken—

But only the back half.

The front half, where the computer and electronics were set up, was completely intact.

Because I had shielded them with my barrier.

Naturally, I was unharmed as well.

Not a single wound.

Not even a speck of dust.

Leaning arrogantly against the chair’s backrest, I gazed down at the intruding Swordmasters.

“What? Didn’t expect this? You thought I’d die from a single bomb?”

I openly mocked them.

The Third Division Commander gritted his teeth.

“Cocky little brat…”

“So? The old men standing next to you— Did you all come together just to kill one young brat?”

I waved a hand at the orderly, signaling him to leave.

He hesitated for a moment, then quickly retreated.

The Swordmasters said nothing.

Instead, in one synchronized motion, they drew their blades.

White Tiger Swords, gleaming pure white, not black.

The real reason they had attacked me.

“Draw your sword, boy.”

The Second Division Commander spoke sharply, like a wildcat ready to pounce.

“You should’ve kept your head down. Now you’ve hastened your own death. Come—let me show you what it means when they say there’s always a stronger sky above you.”

“‘A stronger sky above’…?”

Funny.

That’s exactly what I should be saying.

Clang!

I unsheathed the Black Tiger Sword.

Its dark, translucent glow, like the night sky, mesmerized the Swordmasters.

Their eyes burned with greed, desire, and ambition—

Except for Gu Hyungwon, who was barely keeping his composure.

“Uncles, Aunts. Be careful. That bastard… isn’t someone you can take lightly. I didn’t even last a second against him.”

“We know.”

“Even a tiger goes all out when hunting a rabbit.”

“Let’s not be careless.”

“We fight him like we fight Father.”

You think that’s enough?

Fwoosh!

Black Sword Qi erupted.

Five sword energies, like tigers, pounced toward me.

They were strong.

Fierce, vicious, utterly ruthless.

But they had failed to consider one crucial fact—

That I am me.

I wasn’t just any Swordmaster.

I wasn’t just a Level 7 transcendent superhuman.

I was Warrior Kim.

And they would pay dearly for forgetting that.

I tightened my grip on my sword.

[Mars Swordsmanship] [Black Tiger Invincible Sword Art] [Sword and Spirit as One]

Three traits ignited in perfect harmony.

And with them, I delivered a blow that these five Swordmasters would never forget.