Trait Hoarder-Chapter 260

Shadow Temple – Part 2

Boom. Boom.

The giant stepped forward.

He raised a square shield and an oversized warhammer, then slammed them together with a thunderous crash.

Over 2.5 meters tall—only by stacking Giant’s Strength could I even approach that size.

As his appearance suggested, he was a Paladin specialized in defense and protection.

“Hmph. What a joke.”

The woman with the gem-crusted sword sneered, lips curled.

“What’s so funny that you’re grinning like that?”

She looked like a Warrior-type—perhaps a Fighter or Duelist—but in reality, she was something else.

A Battle Mage.

A close-combat magic user. In the game, she was known as the Witch of the Cross.

“Hehehe.”

The one-eyed old woman just giggled.

The one I needed to be most cautious of.

Execution Throne.

Both her nickname and the name of the shotgun she leaned on like a staff.

Though a Priest-type, she fired terrifying black flame attacks from that magic shotgun.

“Oh Old Father, bless your children.” 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

“The Divine Kingdom shall come!”

“We shall be freed from this sea of suffering!”

“Deliver us from this hellish Earth!”

And it wasn’t just the four of them.

Over a thousand superhumans had gathered.

Encircling me and the four, sealing us inside a barrier.

Layered with steel walls.

They knelt and prayed to the Old Father.

Naturally, divine power poured down like rain.

Onto me, and onto the four surrounding me.

Curses and blessings collided in the air.

It was practically a raid.

A massive-scale raid that couldn’t be implemented in the mobile version of Arcane Seoul, with thousands involved.

“Looks like you’ve been preparing?”

I asked.

Jo Chul smirked slyly.

“Of course. The Saintess predicted you’d come here.”

“She predicted it?”

“Damn right. No matter how you run around, you’re just like Sun Wukong dancing on the palm of Buddha.”

Jo Chul glanced around theatrically.

His scarred face and jutting cheekbones practically gleamed with self-satisfaction.

“With this many gathered, we could even hunt a god! Hehe. The Saintess only ordered us to hold you here until the time came, but capturing the Savior? She’d be ecstatic.”

“Be careful.”

Execution Throne warned in a sharp, metallic voice.

“He’s Level 8. Practically a demigod. Even with a thousand deployed, a single mistake and he’ll escape.”

“Hmph! So cautious, old woman. Alright, alright. Can’t afford to let him slip away. Let’s just buy as much time as we can.”

Bang! Bang!

The giant—nicknamed the Iron Tower—beat his shield with his hammer.

Not without reason.

A special kind of mana stirred, drawing my focus.

Even if I tried to look away, my vision was forcibly anchored.

A taunt effect.

The witch with the gemstone sword silently slipped to the side.

A flash ignited in her Black Cross Jewel.

Black and blue light.

She was readying spells of darkness and cold elements.

Fuuuuh.

I was surrounded by no less than a thousand superhumans.

All of them Level 5 or higher.

At least a hundred of them were Level 6.

It was, undoubtedly, a desperate situation.

But oddly, I didn’t feel endangered.

Because I knew.

Because I believed.

In myself.

In the traits I’d accumulated over time.

In the body I’d reconstructed countless times through elixirs.

I wasn’t your typical Level 8 superhuman.

I was at least on par with episode bosses.

At Level 7, I’d faced a Corpse Dragon.

At Level 8, it would be the Saintess.

Tack!

I stomped the ground.

The world seemed to rush toward me as if being pushed back.

The giant swelled larger as he charged.

Naturally, he raised his square shield.

With a flash of light, a golden square barrier blocked my path.

Celestial Wall.

One of the strongest defensive traits in Arcane Seoul—I had it too.

Even a strike from Nephilim Sword would be stopped.

Of course, I never intended to attack the giant.

I twisted my body.

Activated [Grand Assault] and [Mobility].

Ignoring all inertia, I launched toward another superhuman.

Kicked off the ground, leapt mid-air twice, and charged through the sky.

“Wha—!”

The witch froze in surprise.

CRASH!

The giant slammed his shield without a word, triggering another taunt.

[Vajra Body][Vajra Body][Resolve]

I neutralized it all with triple-stacked [Resolve] from within Vajra Body.

“No!”

“Block it!”

Barriers sprang up.

Protective shields poured in from afar, forming a wall before me.

Tat-tat-tat-tat! Zzzzzzzzz!

Jo Chul, from his wheelchair, unleashed machine gun fire, laser cannons, and missiles.

Pop!

Execution Throne fired a straight line of black flame rounds.

Sorry.

You fell for it.

I twisted my body with a sudden jolt.

You think I’d fall for such an obvious play, when hundreds of priests are out there layering barriers?

That was all misdirection.

This is the real deal.

[Kalaratri][Kalaratri][Lightning Step]

[Thor Cultivation Technique][Mana Soul][Magic Brain]

I hurled myself forward.

No—launched was more accurate.

A bolt of lightning, fired like a cannon, hurtled toward Jo Chul.

His massive combat wheelchair looked sturdy, but…

It had no defensive traits.

A Death Artisan who couldn’t survive without external help.

“What—?”

Jo Chul’s eyes went wide.

He kicked into evasive maneuver mode.

Mana thrusters burst from his wheelchair, spewing flame.

But too late.

No matter how high-spec magical propulsion may be—everything has its limit.

The lightning had already struck.

CRAAAACK!

A divine thunderclap struck the earth.

The wrath of the lightning god.

That’s what this was.

A storm of lightning thundered through the Shadow Temple.

This was [Kalaratri] in its lightning-strike variant, designed for burst damage.

What happens when it’s stacked twice?

The answer: squared.

Two times two. Nearly four times the destructive power.

Even mathematically, it had enough force to bring down a stadium, not just a building.

“Gahk!”

Execution Throne, who only caught the edge of the blast, was coughing up blood.

Despite casting powerful defensive magic on herself.

But I knew Jo Chul wasn’t dead.

Not only that—he hadn’t taken even a scratch.

[Bright Eyes][Mars Swordsmanship][Combat Mastery]

[Mana Soul][Ambush][Talent]

That’s why I dove into the rising dust cloud.

My mana, emptied in one blow.

To minimize further mana consumption, I began recovering it even as I swung my sword.

With [Bright Eyes], I could see everything.

Especially the red crosses—his weak points.

I jabbed and pierced with precision.

“Eeek!”

Jo Chul retaliated wildly.

Point-blank, he fired his machine guns and mana rounds without mercy.

A direct hit—even I wouldn’t survive.

Unless I had defensive traits equipped.

Naturally, the fine hairs on my skin stood on end, and my nape stiffened like iron.

My nervous system was screaming, stretched tight.

My consciousness narrowed to a single point.

My head burned hot.

A new vision opened—Eye of Fate.

Along with it, I could feel every strand of mana in the outside world.

Time seemed to slow.

I pulled in mana.

The world’s energy—the qi of nature, if we were speaking in martial arts terms—flowed into me.

My drained circuits quickly filled to the brim.

And it didn’t stop there. Strength surged into my body and blade.

I moved like a breeze.

Weaving through threads of fate that connected me to my target.

Dodging machine gun rounds, mana bullets—each one frozen midair.

Canceling a just-forming barrier by severing its fate thread.

Blocking the attacks of three superhumans with Aegis at my back.

And then I threw my hand.

No—I threw Mjölnir.

My left hand brushed against the weapon holster and launched Mjölnir in a single motion.

And in less than 0.1 seconds, I even swapped trait sets.

[Kalaratri][Kalaratri][Lightning Step]

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

I did it without realizing.

Fired [Kalaratri] through Mjölnir.

With a World Trait. Double-stacked.

Flash!

Mjölnir vanished into the air.

Soaked in divine power and mana, it skipped through space.

Followed by a blinding flash.

A barrage of thunderbolts.

Even stronger than the ones I launched with the Black Tiger Sword.

No, this was not just thunder.

It was Annihilation Thunder.

CRAAACK!

“Guaaagh!”

The blast hit in front.

But the scream came from behind.

Still alive?

But he couldn’t have much left.

That [Self-Sacrifice] he used—along with the higher trait [Damage Absorption]—both had hard limits.

Thunk! Thunk!

I stabbed.

Mjölnir came flying back, and I smashed with it.

Swung Aegis for a crushing blow.

A storm of attacks.

Every strike crushed a neck, burst a heart, or shattered a skull.

Each one lethal.

All because [Bright Eyes] and [Ambush] combined, letting me strike only at vital weak points.

Then, at some point—

I noticed my attacks flowing smoother.

My hands felt lighter.

But the strikes hit harder. Deadlier.

[Critical Chance] and [Critical Damage] traits.

One boosts crit rate, the other increases crit damage.

Only [Assassinate] was left before unlocking the higher-tier [Fatal Strike].

Pop! Pow!

The surrounding superhumans weren’t idle, of course.

Curses rained down nonstop.

Layer upon layer of barriers finally pushed me back.

Too bad.

It was already too late.

With the purification effect from [Indomitable], I shook off the curses and turned.

The giant was right behind me.

And he’d slowed down.

“No! General! Get out of there!”

Jo Chul screamed in anguish.

“Guh…”

The giant let out a short grunt.

He raised his shield.

But [Celestial Wall] didn’t activate.

Of course not.

He’d already burned through all his stamina and mana using [Self-Sacrifice].

How could a steel wall manifest now?

“Stop him!”

Barriers hastily formed.

But I was already on him.

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

[Giant’s Strength][Combat Mastery][Mana Soul]

Mars Swordsmanship, double-stacked.

A strange sensation overtook me.

Mars Swordsmanship was already known for giving the experience of a battle-hardened veteran.

But this—this was something else entirely.

My mind sharpened.

My awareness ascended.

I was guided by a sense that surpassed even [Eye of Fate]—a transcendent intuition.

My sword force slithered like a serpent, curling against the flow of the world.

It pressed against the solid shield, slipped through the smallest seam in the armor—

And shattered all defense, bursting the heart.

“Guhhk!”

The giant coughed up blood.

Healing magic poured in, but it was useless.

His [Undying] trait shattered as well.

Because I had drawn the Black Tiger Sword upward, cleaving from heart to head in one stroke.

Splurt!

Thick blood gushed out.

“You bastard, I’ll kill you!”

Jo Chul roared in fury.

The witch had already charged in.

Eyes glowing with madness, she swung her gem sword wildly.

Every slash triggered a magic circle—blades of flame, frost, lightning, and earth overwhelmed me.

“Die!”

And to top it off, divine magic from enraged priests rained down.

A deluge of spells that filled my entire vision.

But I just smirked.

Still under the effects of double-stacked [Mars Swordsmanship].

That transcendent sensation that had felled the Iron Tower still gripped me.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

I swung my sword.

Delicately flicked the tip.

A dance of the blade.

Every spell that met its end on the tip of my sword was unraveled.

Or diverted, crashing into other spells and exploding midair.

The witch’s face went pale.

“No way…”

It was because of the double-stacked [Mars Swordsmanship].

If [Kalaratri] gave me destruction scaled as 2², then [Mars Swordsmanship] offered the sense of a battle god.

If I ever managed to fully strengthen it in the future…

I’d probably have to call it by a different name altogether.

I was about to demonstrate power rivaling the Law of Ares.

At least when it came to swordsmanship.

Maybe it was time to call this [Law of the Sword God].

“Move.”

A voice, thick with murderous intent, sliced through the air.

The witch quickly retreated.

Then came countless rings of light, appearing one after another to restrict my movement.

I shattered them with ease, but I couldn’t stop the trigger being pulled on the gun now aimed at me.

“It’s over.”

Roaring black flames.

An attack powered not only by Execution Throne, but also by the divine strength of hundreds of priests.

Even [Celestial Wall] alone wouldn’t be enough to block it.

But what if I layered another?

[Celestial Wall][Celestial Wall][Vajra Body]

[Sacred Knight][Combat Mastery][Earth]

Two golden walls unfolded.

And then something strange happened.

The Celestial Walls overlapped and… dissolved.

Turned transparent, leaving only a faint shimmer behind.

But their presence remained unmistakable.

They devoured the black flame beam like a hungry serpent.

No impact. No explosion.

They just rippled like heat haze, while feasting on my mana.

Execution Throne’s mouth dropped open.

“Dimensional Wall…?”

Ah, so that’s what it’s called?

I slid in toward her.

Swung my sword down.

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

[Black Tiger Invincible Sword Art][Thor Cultivation Technique][Mana Soul]

A sweeping strike.

Sword force surged upward.

But it wasn’t the usual black-and-white flame-like energy.

It held the cosmos.

Darkness and stars rippled together within it.

Still messy, still more stain than clarity—

But even so, at this point it could no longer just be called black-and-white sword force.

If ever completed, it would have to be called [Cosmic Blade].

“Grandma!”

“No—don’t come!”

The witch crossed space to intercept me.

She stepped in front of Execution Throne and thrust her Black Cross Gem Sword forward.

The gem exploded, forming a final barrier.

But it wasn’t enough.

No matter how solid it looked, against double-stacked Nephilim Sword, it shattered like glass.

“Ah!”

“Oh Old Father!”

The black-and-white blade split them both.

Cut through layer upon layer of protective barriers.

No Iron Tower to take the blow this time.

No Saintess to bring them back.

The two of them, holding each other tight, eyes squeezed shut, were swallowed by the blade and turned to ash.

“Execution Throne! Hyun-ah! Damn it all!”

Jo Chul collapsed to the floor, screaming.

“You bastard! Do you even know what you’ve done?! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!”

I just shrugged.

“Weren’t you the ones calling me the Savior?”

“You bastard! I’ll kill you!”

“You’ll be dead first.”

Slice.

His head fell.

As I caught my breath, the other superhumans stared at me, faces pale.

“Monster…”

This is the power of a Level 8 superhuman.

You really thought you could take me down with sheer numbers?

Not a chance.

If you wanted to catch me, the Saintess should’ve come herself.

“I’m a step too late, it seems.”

Exactly.

Like now.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The sound of metal.

No—footsteps.

At the edge of a long, looming shadow—

A woman stood.

Clad in a dark-colored breastplate, wielding a massive warhammer and a high-caliber combat shotgun.

The mastermind spanning Episodes 1, 2, and 3.

The final boss of my life.

The Saintess.