Trait Hoarder-Chapter 265

Total Mobilization Order – Part 2

The President let out a low groan.

“A total mobilization order…”

It seemed like a heavy burden.

Even with things in this state.

Well, there had been the Seoul terror attack, and now the Gwangju seal. Two massive incidents in a row—no wonder his head was splitting.

Bang!

The Legion Commander stomped the floor hard in place of the broken table.

“I told you! We should’ve issued the total mobilization order first and launched an immediate strike! Why are we sitting around in a meeting again?!”

“Old man, calm down for a second.”

“Why? Am I wrong?”

“Let’s hear what the others have to say first.”

The Western Army Legion Commander shot a glare at the Chairman of Shinwha Group for no real reason.

The Chairman coughed a few times, then spoke.

“Before I state my opinion, may I ask Sword Star something?”

“Go ahead.”

“This information—can you tell us the source? You didn’t reveal it during the Seoul terror case or with the Dark Jaguars, but this time, I’d like to know where it came from.”

“Of course. I’ll tell you.”

That was easy.

I shared the data recorded in the Dragon Monarch’s Crown.

Like a black box, it stored my actions at the Shadow Temple.

“…Huh.”

“They were really planning this from the start!”

“Even Jo Cheol was involved?”

“The Saintess… the Saintess, huh…”

The atmosphere shifted.

Their gazes were different now.

A mix of surprise and wariness directed at me.

Which was natural.

I’d crushed the Saintess—a superhuman backed by a thousand-level army—without much trouble.

At least, it looked easy on the surface. In truth, it was like walking on a razor’s edge the entire time.

“Hohoho.”

Chairman Go of Shinwha Group laughed in disbelief.

“Truly astounding. To infiltrate the enemy’s base and steal their secret plans… It’s like watching the protagonist of a novel.”

“You flatter me.”

“I support the order. Judging from the footage, the Old Father’s Cult may have been preparing this for decades—no, centuries. I don’t know what ritual they’re attempting, but we can’t afford to give them time. We must issue the total mobilization order immediately and begin concentrating our forces to purge them.”

That was effectively the tipping point.

With the support of the Eastern and Western Armies and Shinwha Group, who would oppose?

I turned toward the Sun Mage Tower Master and wordlessly pressured him.

He cleared his throat and raised his hand.

“Our Sun Mage Tower also fully supports the total mobilization order.”

“Huh? That’s a surprise. I thought you’d sit this one out like always.”

“Our Tower doesn’t always just stand back and watch. Besides, we have ties to Sword Star. We’ll be taking an active role. The Mage Corps, the Phoenix Flame Unit, and nine Elders will be dispatched under my personal command.”

“Huh? They say when people change, they’re near death. Don’t tell me you’ve got cancer or something? Terminal stage?”

“What nonsense! I’ll have you know, I’ll live a hundred years longer than you, Commander.”

The Tower Master winked at me.

After all, we were bound by an alliance.

Rather than being dragged into it because of the pact, he’d decided to step up proactively.

That way, he’d have a better shot at the spoils.

The Old Father’s Cult was a global religious order—just nibbling on the carcass would yield enormous gains.

“We’ll join too. Including Geumo Security and my entire personal guard. I’ll lead them myself.”

The declarations continued.

Seong Huiyeong lifted her finger, conjuring a bloom of golden light.

“I’ve always hated those fanatics. We let them be because they had numbers, but offering up an entire city as human sacrifice? They’ve crossed the line. I believe we need to begin retaking Gwangju as soon as possible.”

With the Tower Master and Seong Huiyeong taking the lead, agreement poured in.

The two major armies went without saying.

All five conglomerates and all four mage towers pledged participation or support.

The religious orders that were close to me—and had poor relations with the Old Father’s Cult—were practically bouncing with excitement.

“Let’s launch the attack now!”

“Filthy cultists! Disgusting lovers of human sacrifice!”

“If our honorary Knight Commander would lead the Seoul branch of the Paladins, that would be splendid. If that’s not enough, we’ll bring in the Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong branches, and even the Southeast Asia Knights. We’ll also request backup from the Pontiff and the Archbishops of the minor sects.”

Everyone was itching to crush the Old Father’s Cult.

Except for one faction.

“Isn’t this all a bit hasty?”

A man wearing what was practically a topless Egyptian ceremonial outfit.

It was the Archbishop of the Osiris Cult.

“I admit the Saintess is extreme. But neither she nor the Old Father’s Cult clergy are fools. If all of you rise up like this, the Cult would be annihilated instantly. If we explain the situation carefully, we may still resolve this peacefully. Shouldn’t we at least attempt a final dialogue before launching an attack?”

The Osiris Cult wasn’t particularly friendly with the Old Father’s Cult either.

So why was he saying this?

Because of the River Goddess sitting on my shoulder.

She was the one Osiris had tried to kill, the one he tried to manipulate into falling—and yet she had survived.

[Hmph!]

The Goddess must have sensed it too.

She threw a tiny fist at the Osiris Archbishop, who kept sneakily glancing her way.

A soft dent appeared in his forehead.

A punch directly from the Goddess herself.

Now that’s a rare gift.

“Tch, then don’t join!”

The Legion Commander slammed his knees and shouted.

“What kind of conversation are we supposed to have with bastards who open fire on reporters with anti-aircraft guns? If they wanted a dialogue, they would’ve held a press conference first and released a statement! Those bastards already threw the first punch! They stabbed us in the back! Dialogue? Dialogue? The damn Saintess would love that!”

“Wasn’t the problem that Sword Star fought the Saintess in the first place? You should’ve quietly taken the documents and left. Because you didn’t, they may have moved the ritual schedule up.”

“What was that?”

The Legion Commander turned his furious gaze toward him.

The Western Army Legion Commander didn’t look particularly pleased either.

The Tower Master clicked his tongue, and Chairman Go of Shinwha Group shook his head at the Archbishop of the Osiris Cult.

“Archbishop, I understand there have been some… unpleasant events lately, but aren’t you being a bit too blatant?”

“Blatant? I’m merely trying to suggest a peaceful—”

“This isn’t your country or your cult, and you’re being awfully casual. I’m sure the Osiris believers trapped in Gwangju would love to hear that. Don’t you think so?”

The tone was gentle.

But the message wasn’t.

“Ahem…”

Even the Archbishop of the Osiris Cult couldn’t keep defending them and shut his mouth.

Naturally, the discussion gained speed.

The President made his decision.

“Very well. I’ll issue the total mobilization order as soon as this meeting concludes. But I’ll need all of your support.”

“Of course. The national military alone can’t take down the Old Father’s Cult…”

“There are just too many paladins and priests…”

“The Western Army will deploy everyone but one division to guard the northern border.”

“Same here. I’ll send every available unit south. Hey, Madam Chae. You’ll be joining the fight in person, right?”

“Of course. And you, old man?”

“Erm! My health hasn’t been great lately, so I thought I’d sit back and watch this time.”

“What? What kind of nonsense is that?”

The Western Army Legion Commander stared at him like she was watching a dog bark.

“Ahem! Ahem!”

The Legion Commander gave a fake cough.

Then, as he scanned the room with a smug grin, he pulled out a set of insignias and shoulder boards.

Three-star Lieutenant General insignia.

Then, he tore off the insignia on my chest and replaced it with the new one.

“Huh? Commander?”

“The Eastern Army will now be under Sword Star’s command. Let everyone be aware of that.”

“Wait, he’s not even your disciple and you’re handing him the corps?”

“Commander! No matter how you feel, isn’t this too sudden?”

“Sword Star is impressive, yes, but his command ability hasn’t been tested yet!”

It was all too sudden.

The provisional rank I’d received during the Eastern Army reform was suddenly replaced with an official lieutenant general’s insignia.

“Uh, Commander…?”

“Ah! Don’t worry about it! It’s fine!”

The Legion Commander slapped my back heartily.

“I saw you last time and you handled things just fine! It’s not like I won’t help at all—I’ll support from the rear to some extent. But I’m too old to be running around! Time for a generational shift! When there’s a strong, young guy who even beat the Saintess sitting right next to you, not using him would be plain stupid!”

“Hahahaha.”

Getting promoted to lieutenant general out of nowhere—sure, it was nice…

But to be honest, it was also a bit overwhelming.

Still, after receiving the [Hero] trait and a chunk of mana, refusing would’ve been awkward.

Seong Huiyeong winked at me.

“I’ll be counting on you, too.”

“Sorry? What do you mean by that?”

“Rather than operating separately, it’s better to unite under one command. And I trust you, Sword Star. Please make good use of Geumo Security and my personal guard. Commander.”

She wasn’t joking.

Seong Huiyeong touched her ear—her cybernetic implant.

A data transfer began.

At least hundreds of individuals.

All Level 3 or higher, with a significant number being Level 5 superhumans.

And the file didn’t just list names, gender, and age.

It included mana levels, specialties, psychic powers, mana circuit types—every quantifiable stat used in this world.

“Chairwoman, are you sure you want to give me all this?”

“Why not?”

Seong Huiyeong smiled.

“You need to know this much to command properly. I trust you, Sword Star.”

“Thank you. I’ll do my best.”

“Our Thor Cult will also transfer command authority.”

“And so will our Gaia Cult.”

“Heh, slowpokes. Our Pocah subsect Archbishop gave that order ages ago.”

Superhuman lists flowed in one after another.

All confidential data from their respective factions.

Honestly, just knowing names and levels would’ve been enough—this much was almost too much. It made me nervous.

Nearly thousands were assembling under my command.

All of them Level 3 or higher.

Each one officially classified as a superhuman.

“Sword Star.”

Was it the mood?

Even the Tower Master looked my way.

“You’re not planning to put mages on the front line, are you?”

“Of course not. Mages are for rear support. What kind of idiot would send them charging in?”

“Ahem! Ahem! You do have a record of that. In the Colosseum.”

“That was the Colosseum.”

“I’ll trust you this time. Use our mages—and our pyromancers—well. Myself included.”

The entire Eastern Army.

Seong Huiyeong of Geumo Group, her guard, Geumo Security.

The Tower Master of the Sun Mage Tower, elders, Mage Corps, Phoenix Flame Unit.

The paladin and crusader units of the Thor, Gaia, and Mama Quilla cults.

And on top of that, my own crew of fishmen and mutant sailors.

Just how many is that?

At least one Level 8. No, two, if I count the Legion Commander who’ll step in when needed.

More than ten Level 7s, and too many Level 6s and 5s to count.

It was a force capable of overturning an entire nation.

Vrrrrrmmm.

My whole body vibrated.

New mana circuits were forming, as if hatching from eggs.

Power surged.

My senses sharpened, and my thoughts became lightning-fast.

All my stats were rising.

It was the effect of the [Commander] trait.

Where traits like [Leadership] or [Orders] enhanced the soldiers under your command, [Commander] was the opposite.

The higher the quality and quantity of my forces, the stronger I became.

“Hm?”

“Huh?”

The gazes of the 8th-level superhumans around me changed.

Especially the Tower Master of the Sun Mage Tower—despite this being his second time seeing it, he looked at me like he was ready to devour me.

Now that it was out in the open, I swapped my traits without hesitation.

[Commander] [Orders] [Leadership]

[Tactics] [Strategy] [Supply]

All merged into one.

The [General] trait shone with overwhelming brilliance.

A lieutenant general with the [General] trait.

It would be a huge advantage in the war to come.

Especially when used in combination with the [My Home] trait I’d prepared in advance.

“Is that… the Heavenly Demon Physique?”

“Told you.”

“Old man, no wonder you pushed so hard for physical supremacy. So sly.”

“Hahaha! Tell the Heavenly Demon to come out! This guy’ll catch up to him soon!”

“Heaven-Subduing Star of Calamity… even seeing it again, it’s astonishing.”

“I never thought a true Omnipotent One would exist in this world.”

“Oh? You didn’t know? Our Archbishop already gave us a heads-up.”

“The Greatest Lightning isn’t exactly generous with premonitions, you know.”

“Same with the Great Mother of Weight. She only told us not to antagonize him under any circumstances.”

“Ahem! Ahem!”

The Archbishop of the Osiris Cult purposefully avoided looking at me.

His face was terribly scrunched.

I heard he was Level 7, and it seemed he used some special method to confirm my trait shift.

The meeting concluded there.

Even the Osiris Cult agreed to dispatch at least a Paladin Order.

Whatever personal grudges they held against me and the River Goddess, they couldn’t oppose the overwhelming tide.

Especially when the Old Father’s Cult had crossed the line so flagrantly.

“We’ll act independently.”

“Our Mage Tower as well.”

“Same here…”

Some factions were dragging their feet, watching the mood.

Others sent only a handful of superhumans, just enough to show face.

It didn’t matter.

The Allied Forces centered on the national military had gathered in numbers beyond comprehension around Gwangju.

“Incredible.”

Seong Huiyeong, standing beside me, let out a short breath.

The Legion Commander was tapping around the bridge with curious eyes.

“You’ve got a sweet ride. Think you could get me one of these?”

“Haha, well…”

Skidbladnir was, by design, one-of-a-kind in this world.

I could only offer a sheepish smile.

“To fuse a goddess into a divine ship, then reinforce it with the World Tree…”

The Tower Master looked like his eyes were about to pop out.

The moment he boarded River Goddess, he’d gone wide-eyed, poking around everywhere.

“Ahem! Ahem!”

Bear Hands gave a subtle glare.

“Try to maintain your dignity, gentlemen. You’re not children.”

“What? Are you saying you’re young?”

“We’re not that far apart in age!”

“Exactly my point.”

Was it because our power was so overwhelming?

No one seemed particularly tense.

Understandable.

The ground was covered with armored divisions and superhumans, and dozens of fighter jets soared overhead.

The cult army, curled up like a hedgehog, looked ready to be steamrolled.

That is, assuming they were deploying only regular forces.

[Surrender! Surrender now!]

[Break the seal!]

[Disarm yourselves!]

[If you do not surrender immediately, we will use force!]

Thousands of drones blared in unison.

For now, they only broadcast demands, but if ignored, they’d start firing magical missiles without hesitation.

Seong Huiyeong offered a hopeful take.

“Think they might surrender? The gap in power is insane.”

“That would mean they’re not zealots.”

“Sword Star’s right. If they were going to fold this easily, they wouldn’t have tried to offer Gwangju in the first place.”

The Tower Master added his thoughts.

“Miracles and mysteries often defy logic. The Saintess must have something up her sleeve to have gone this far. Whatever it is, I don’t know.”

But I think I do.

In a war of this scale, the Saintess has only one real trump card.

I reached toward the command console, gently tracing the control lever.

Most likely, I’d have to act personally.

The only way to counter the Saintess’s card was to pilot River Goddess myself.

Vwoooosh!

Just as I predicted.

A vessel shot vertically into the sky, piercing through the black dome.

No—not a vessel.

There were no liftbags like a typical airship.

All it had was a sleek hull, grandly rising masts, and a mix of triangular and square sails billowing with wind.

I recognized it instantly.

I’d seen it in the game. And in real life.

“A flying ship?”

Seong Huiyeong tilted her head, puzzled.

The Legion Commander and the Tower Master were just as baffled.

“Wasn’t that the Saintess’s toy? Why would she send it into battle?”

“Exactly. Without her on board, it’s not even a proper weapon.”

They were all wrong.

Harder than any of the eight mid-bosses.

Maybe even more difficult than Seo Woojin, the Jet-Black Massacre.

The [Saintess’s Flying Ship].

That boss was now stationed in midair.