Trait Hoarder-Chapter 259

Shadow Temple – Part 1

Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.

I looked down at the Artisan Village from a distance.

I’d hidden the Red Cougar on a remote hill nearby.

Charging in headfirst would definitely get me caught by the Old Father’s Cult.

A bright red flying car.

Even with the stealth from the Dragon Knight trait, it was too conspicuous.

‘How big was it again?’

The Shadow Temple dwarfed even the largest churches in the real world.

It was probably bigger than a World Cup stadium.

‘The core was Jo Chul’s Workshop.’

Master of Death, Jo Chul.

Known here as just another believer of the Old Father, but in reality, he played a far more crucial role.

A key executive in the Old Father’s Cult, and in Episode 3, one of the eight mid-bosses.

Here, he had built and maintained the Artisan Village.

He must’ve played a big role in constructing the underground Shadow Temple, too.

‘It was 400 meters wide in both directions.’

A perfect square when viewed from above.

About the same size as the Artisan Village.

Meaning, I just had to dig straight down from the village’s edge.

That would trigger an alarm immediately, but I had a better way.

I waited for nightfall.

Even after the sun had completely set, the Artisan Village was still glowing like day.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The loud hammering of manual labor rang out.

Magical forges lit with fire and all sorts of enchanted lights spilled out, illuminating not just the Artisan Village but its surroundings in bright white.

I used to pass by without much thought, but tonight it felt much more suspicious.

‘If I mess up, I’ll get caught.’

Even with stealth, the result would be the same.

With [Bright Eyes] and [Sixth Sense], I could see it.

The magical lighting that seemed to leak out randomly was imbued with [Detection] and [Truth].

I’d brushed it off as just part of the game’s scenery—that was my mistake.

Doesn’t matter.

That much won’t stop me.

I carefully selected my trait set.

[Bright Eyes][Sixth Sense][Stealth]

[Psychic Power][[Phasing]][Mana Soul]

[Phasing] was the key.

After approaching as close as I could to the Artisan Village, I quietly took a breath.

“Phew.”

Then activated [Phasing].

Like a ghost, my body turned ethereal and sank into the ground.

Darkness—or rather, the dirt and concrete—blocked my vision, but it didn’t matter.

I could just use the clairvoyance included in [Bright Eyes].

And so I dived.

Or should I call it soil diving?

I pierced through dozens of meters in an instant.

Then, a heavy force pushed back against me.

‘This is it.’

Most temples are protected against spirit infiltration.

Otherwise, ghosts, wraiths, and superhumans would be coming and going all the time.

A barrier that instantly triggers an alarm if broken by force.

I gently placed my spirit-formed hand on the barrier.

Crackle!

A stinging bolt of lightning zapped me.

Ignoring it, I swapped out a single trait.

[Heaven Defiance]

The barrier withered instantly.

It would regenerate soon anyway.

I slid my body forward.

A ripple of nausea washed over me, and the pitch-black view cleared.

I found myself inside a dimly lit storage room.

Robes of the Old Father’s Cult priests were neatly stacked.

‘Success.’

I deactivated [Phasing] and scanned the area.

Focused my senses using [Sixth Sense] and the Prophet’s Ring.

Judging by the lack of response, it seemed I hadn’t been detected.

‘Damn.’

But I quickly activated [Phasing] again and slipped into the wall.

Inside the barrier.

Just deep enough not to be expelled once it regenerated.

The reason was simple.

Step, step.

Beyond the door.

Two apprentice priests were walking down the hallway.

“Ugh, this never ends!”

“So tired…”

“Geez. There are way too many people.”

“Why is everyone coming to our temple?”

“Right? There are plenty of other temples.”

“I hope this week flies by.”

“Yeah, seriously.”

Creeeaak.

The door opened and the apprentice priests came in.

Boys who looked like middle schoolers.

But they had divine power.

Level 1.

They only had basic skills like [Healing Hands] or [Blessing], and were tasked with menial chores.

‘Should I kill them?’

Or interrogate them?

As I debated, they began folding the robes and placing them into a basket.

“It really ends in a week, right?”

“Priest Lee Jun said so himself. Just hang in there for one more week, then we become priests.”

“Is that for real? Don’t you need to be Level 3 to be ordained?”

“You think he’d lie?”

“You never know.”

“Come on. Priest Lee Jun’s harsh, but he’s not a liar. You heard it too.”

The boy lowered his voice slightly.

“About the consecration plan.”

“I really hope it works out. This hell turning into a divine kingdom…”

“Exactly! The Old Father will descend and guide the world into a theocracy!”

The descent of the Old Father!

The consecration plan!

I slowly pulled my hand back.

Focusing more mana into [Phasing], I listened even more intently.

“But what exactly are they consecrating? It’s not us, right?”

“Idiot. You think the Old Father would descend just because we’re offered? Even if everyone in this temple was consecrated, he’d barely send a few strands of hair.”

“Yeah… It’s not like the Saintess would offer herself.”

“They say she already did. So she can’t be offered again.”

“Huh? Really? She’s already consecrated?”

“Yeah. Same with the other archbishops. I don’t really know the details.”

“Oh, wow… May glory shine upon the soul of the Saintess.”

The two made the sign of the cross and prayed.

Wait, then what are they consecrating?

Which city are they offering?

I resisted the urge to barge out and interrogate them.

Judging by [Bright Eyes] and [Sixth Sense], it was clear—they didn’t know.

“So that’s why the Saintess isn’t at the temple.”

What?

That made my ears perk up.

Before I realized it, I pressed my ear even closer to the wall.

“Yeah. They’re carrying out the consecration plan outside. Something about a ‘Divine Vessel,’ I think?”

Divine Vessel?

Not a consecrated city?

“Divine Vessel? What’s that?”

“If I knew, you think I’d still be here doing grunt work? I’d already be ordained—no, promoted to bishop—and attending the Saintess.”

“True.”

“But I do know one thing.”

The young priest hunched over.

As if about to share the greatest secret in the world, he leaned in and whispered to his fellow apprentice with utmost secrecy.

“The Queen of the Night is at the center of this plan.”

“Oh! The one who joined last year?”

“Yeah. The Saintess said something about fate lines or whatever, but I didn’t get any of it. Anyway, she and the Saintess are working on something together.”

“You really know a lot.”

“Hehe! I’m kind of a people person, you know.”

Seemed they had finished their task.

The apprentice priests picked up their basket and walked off.

Still hidden in the wall, I reviewed what I’d just heard.

‘Queen of the Night? Who the hell is that?’

A name that didn’t exist in the game.

I’d heard of the Queen of Swords, the Queen of Machines, the Winter Queen… but this was a first.

She sounded like a major player…

Even using [Sixth Sense], [Magic Brain], [Contemplation], [Reflection], and [Meditation] yielded nothing.

There was just too little info.

‘Maybe I should have grabbed them and interrogated them.’

Even a rough description of her appearance would probably be enough.

At the very least, among the high-level superhumans active right now, there isn’t a single one I don’t know.

I shook my head before I could get carried away.

No need to take unnecessary risks.

If I trip an alarm, it’ll be a mess.

First, I need to complete the mission I infiltrated for.

Once I confirmed the apprentices were far enough, I moved.

Security devices were everywhere.

CCTV, magical detectors, Eyes of Divinity, fingerprint scanners, mana wave readers, code inputs—you name it.

But since I was already past the barrier, avoiding them wasn’t hard.

In an instant, I reached the central zone.

‘Now this brings back memories.’

The Shadow Temple appears in the game too.

It’s the base of Death Artisan Jo Chul—a full-blown dungeon.

I was heading for the deepest part, a sanctum located right next to the Death Workshop.

It was used by the high archbishop overseeing the Shadow Temple as both an office and a prayer room.

A place that supported the Jongno Temple and handled all kinds of secret tasks.

Given the current situation, this place was likely the heart of the Old Father’s Cult’s secrets.

Including the consecration plan.

‘A barrier.’

I couldn’t pass through the wall anymore.

[Heaven Defiance] was still on cooldown.

A triple-layered barrier raged around the walls.

That left only one option: break through.

I kept an eye on the entrance.

Two Level 5 paladin commanders stood guard, heavily armored, securing the doorway to the inner sanctum.

“Fuuuh.”

I took a deep breath inside the wall.

Switched traits.

[Kalaratri][Master of the Sword][Lightning Step]

[One-Man Army][Mana Soul][Grand Assault]

No reason to hesitate.

Screw the alarms—I charged!

Burst out from the wall like a bolt of lightning.

Unleashed [Kalaratri] at full power on the paladins.

“Huh?”

“Mm?”

That was all they managed.

Despite having solid traits and being decked out in SR-grade magic gear, they were still just high-level superhumans—people who’d be treated like National Assembly members outside.

But against my attack, they stood no chance.

The lightning blade ripped through the air. Their wide-eyed expressions were the last thing they managed before being electrocuted.

“Gaaah!”

“Guhk!”

A brief scream.

Their bodies turned to pitch-black charcoal, and their magical gear shattered completely.

Naturally, the alarm went off.

WEEEEEEEEE!

[Alert! Alert! Intruder detected! Intruder detected!]

Magical spirits screamed in all directions.

And?

So what?

The lightning that struck down the paladins now slammed into the door.

Level 8.

Not 7. 8.

And I didn’t even need to draw on external mana—just my own vast mana reserves, as deep as the sea, overwhelmed the door.

The door exploded.

BOOOOM!

Crumpled like paper and flung into the air.

So much for subtle infiltration.

The triple-layered barrier that even [Phasing] couldn’t bypass was shattered effortlessly.

I leapt through.

Using [Grand Assault], which I’d already equipped in advance.

The interior was complex.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

As the alarms blared, bulkheads slammed down like crazy.

Meaningless.

I was already deep inside.

Magical spirits were trying to control the temple?

The signal had already reached the sanctum?

So what?

With [Grand Assault], the Phoenix Boots, and [Lightning Step], I was faster than lightning.

Not metaphorically—literally.

By the time they reacted, I’d already torn across the inner temple like a bolt of lightning and reached the high archbishop’s sanctum.

“How dare you!”

An old man, kneeling in prayer, rose with a trembling face.

A long, flowing beard. The very image of a devout clergyman.

“Do you know where you are?!”

The archbishop raised his golden staff.

A surge of powerful holy energy burst forth.

Level 7.

If it weren’t me, that might’ve actually been threatening.

The paladins standing guard beside him froze.

“Gasp! The Savior?”

“Why is he here?!”

“Mm? Lord Jeonghyun, Lord Juhyun—what nonsense are you two spouting?”

I had activated the Dragon Sovereign’s Magical Light.

Which made me look kind of like an egg-faced ghost at a glance.

Still, anyone who knew me could recognize me instantly.

Because of how unique I looked.

Apparently, the archbishop didn’t know.

“Die!”

Not needed.

I triggered [Kalaratri] again.

I briefly considered interrogating him, but dismissed it.

No point in wasting time on a fanatic. I’d be better off using [Bright Eyes] and [Sixth Sense] to find the plan myself.

Lightning struck.

The not-so-large sanctum filled with blinding bolts.

The archbishop screamed in desperation.

“S-Stop him!”

Clang!

The sound of rings, necklaces, and protective amulets shattering.

Layer upon layer of holy barriers deployed.

Two paladins burst forward with shields raised.

Not bad.

Exactly what you’d expect from an archbishop of the Old Father’s Cult.

But this—they didn’t see coming.

[Heaven Defiance] [Heaven Defiance]

I copied [Heaven Defiance] into the world.

It nullified the two strongest barriers instantly.

Then I swapped traits.

[Mars Swordsmanship][Nephilim Sword][Master of the Sword]

[One-Man Army][Sacred Knight][Mana Soul]

I activated two of the Big Three Sword Arts at once.

A technique that had been impossible until Level 8—when my mana pool grew vast enough, and I gained access to external mana.

Black-and-white sword force writhed like a serpent.

Mars Swordsmanship guided the path.

Like flowing water, the shifting black-and-white light casually bent the shields and slipped through the gaps in their armor.

“Urgh?”

“Guhk!”

Level 6 knight commander?

In front of me, just another rookie.

I sliced one’s neck and slammed my sword down.

[Nephilim Sword][Kalaratri][Master of the Sword]

[Lightning Step][Sacred Knight][Mana Soul]

It wasn’t sword force anymore—it was lightning, black and white.

Bolts that dyed the world in dark and light streaks.

Not even zigzagging—just a single, straight, destructive line.

The archbishop’s face turned pale.

He sensed his fate.

With his two strongest barriers already canceled, and unable to re-deploy them in time, he knew—he couldn’t block this.

“Oh, Old Father—!”

His final cry.

He exploded as if struck by an artillery shell.

I stepped back slightly to avoid the spray of blood.

I caught my breath, looking around.

‘The mana cost is steep.’

Even at Level 8, it took a toll.

Still, to one-shot a Level 7 archbishop? Worth every drop.

And I learned something.

[World] trait had no cooldown.

But because I duplicated [Heaven Defiance], it was temporarily locked out.

‘I’m short on time.’

The inner temple was already locked down.

All stationed forces would be converging here.

If I linger, I could be overwhelmed.

Even at Level 8, I can’t tank a raid of dozens of Level 7s.

[Bright Eyes][Sixth Sense][Magic Brain]

[Insight][Sensitivity][Clarity]

I scanned the sanctum.

My gaze landed on a side wall lined with document files, magic chips, and magical spirit containers.

I grabbed a few that gave off a distinct feeling.

I didn’t know if the consecration plan was inside.

But my traits, my Golden Five Eyes, and the Prophet’s Ring all pointed to them fiercely.

No matter what, I had to take these.

‘Okay.’

That should do it.

With that sense of certainty, I turned around.

Charged into the wall blocking the path.

BOOM!

A full-force body slam.

Dozens of centimeters of iron plating meant nothing.

Not in front of me.

Not in front of a Level 8 superhuman.

The metal folded like paper and flew off.

I crashed through wall after wall.

But I knew this wasn’t the end.

The more barriers I broke through, the closer I felt a powerful presence approaching.

Beyond the wall.

In the large chamber connecting the inner and outer temples.

The very place in the game where you had to endure an endless wave.

Bang!

At last, I exited the inner sanctum.

My vision opened up wide.

Flash!

Magical lighting focused directly on me.

I instinctively squinted.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

A voice approached me.

“Yeah, long time no see.”

He was in a hover wheelchair.

Not the lightweight, sleek design I remembered.

A heavy, matte-black combat wheelchair loaded with weapons.

But that didn’t matter.

It was the superhumans standing with him that caught my eye.

A towering giant clad head-to-toe in black-gold armor.

A woman with an eerie aura, holding a Black Cross Gem Sword.

An old woman with one eye, leaning on an oversized shotgun like it was a cane.

Some of the mid-bosses from Episode 3.

Most people would’ve been shaken.

Some might have panicked.

But instead of being surprised, I just twisted my lips into a faint grin.

‘Today.’

Click.

I drew the Black Tiger Sword.

Its pitch-black blade rose with a heavy, resolute presence.

‘I’ll break half of them.’

The Saintess’s eight wings.

Eight mid-bosses.

One—Jet-Black Executioner Seo Woojin—was already out.

If I take out four more, what kind of face will the Saintess make?

The smile curling at my lips deepened.