Trait Hoarder-Chapter 279

Queen of the Night – Part 1

RIIIP!

Mahu tore off the special facial mask without hesitation.

CRACK!

A sound like roasting beans echoed as the body convulsed.

A build unmistakably male to anyone.

In mere seconds, it transformed into that of a woman.

The doctors and nurses gasped and scattered in all directions.

“O que!”

“Oh meu Deus!”

Mahu locked eyes with me.

Within those black pearl-like pupils—

A murderous intent sharp as blades and a seething mana like molten lava swirled violently.

“I’m not Mahu. I am the Queen of the Night.”

“What?”

“I abandoned the name given by the god of the Old World. I am the Queen of the Night now.”

‘Sure. I get it.’

‘You’re saying the brainwashing’s complete, huh?’

Honestly, just looking at the trait set, it was clear she had become someone completely different.

[Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique] [Nine Yin Severed Veins] [Frozen Ice Demon Technique]

[Master of the Fist] [Killing Blow] [Shape-Shifting Trickery]

The Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique.

But this one felt subtly different from what I’d seen before.

Every version of the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique I’d seen until now gave off the vibe of a tyrant—someone who defied the heavens and stood alone in absolute supremacy.

Even Divine Army Commander’s version was the same.

Despite being weaker and rougher, it radiated a potent and unmistakable presence.

But this version… it felt damp and sinister.

Like a cluster of mushrooms growing between rotting wood.

Or mold creeping through a dark, damp place.

It wasn’t destructive martial arts—it was poison hidden by a snake, a cursed doll veiled by a shaman.

“You sold even your soul to the Old Father, didn’t you?”

Mahu—no, the Queen of the Night—smirked with her lips curled.

“It was a fair exchange. I offered myself to the Old Father, and in return, he granted me fitting compensation.”

“Oh, I see. That’s why you offered up Master’s heart too?”

“Hmph. The problem was making our eldest brother a direct disciple! If I had inherited the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique, none of this would’ve happened! I’d already be level 9 by now! Unlike him!”

“Spare me the nonsense. You didn’t even pass the third gate of the Heavenly Demon trial. Didn’t you stop halfway through the second one? That’s why the Heavenly Demon passed it on to Divine Army Commander instead. If you’re upset, you should’ve completed up to the second gate on your own.”

“Ugh! You can’t judge my ability just by some trial! The martial art I received was practically impossible to use to get past the Heavenly Demon’s third gate! How was I supposed to pass that!?”

I guess I could see how that would be frustrating.

The Queen of the Night was born with the Nine Yin Severed Veins, learned the Frozen Ice Demon Technique, and unlocked both Killing Blow and Death Ghost Walk.

Killing Blow—which requires stealth, surprise, fatality, and critical force.

Death Ghost Walk—which relies on hiding, ambush, and infiltration.

That’s why I’d said she had the traits of an assassin.

Divine Army Commander had massively reinforced all his stats through Reverse Aging.

Blood King was a textbook close-combat warrior.

Compared to them, her defenses and resistances were sorely lacking.

Getting through the Thousand Tribulations Gate, with its barrage of elemental and status attacks, would’ve definitely been harder for her.

So what?

Learning the Frozen Ice Demon Technique was the Heavenly Demon’s choice—but acquiring Killing Blow and Death Ghost Walk was her decision.

She chose the assassin tree herself—slinking in the dark, studying how to kill swiftly and silently.

If she didn’t like it, she should’ve gone the internal power path like Divine Army Commander or the brawler path like Blood King.

“Follow me.”

I didn’t have time to entertain her nonsense any longer.

I leapt lightly into the air.

Soared toward the runway attached to the Grand Hall.

Fitting for someone who possessed Shape-Shifting Trickery, the Queen of the Night followed smoothly.

WEEOOO! WEEEEOOO!

The alarms rang across the Grand Hall’s runway.

Not a single soul in sight.

A plane that had just emerged onto the tarmac stood halted in the distance.

On the windswept runway, under a desolate sky, I faced the Queen of the Night.

“Savior, savior, savior.”

She murmured with glimmering eyes.

“To see you in person… you truly are remarkable. I can feel it—you are the savior of the world, the light of hope… the vessel of the Old Father.”

“Now that you’ve seen it, you understand, right? You can’t beat me.”

“Heh. Just like a refined sword forged ten thousand times slices through a mountain of scrap iron, so too shall I cleave through you. The Old Father will be most pleased when I bring you to him.”

“You’re saying the exact same thing Divine Army Commander said.”

“What?”

CHING!

No more talk.

I drew my sword.

The Black Tiger Sword gleamed coldly in the sunlight, its edge ruthless.

GUOOOO…

The Queen of the Night summoned her mana.

Air twisted and converged like a vortex.

From that twist came a strange, low-pitched vibration in the wind.

As a murky black light spread around her like fog—

She vanished.

The Queen of the Night disappeared before my eyes.

Without any obvious spell or incantation, she just blinked out like a phantom.

‘Even without Death Ghost Walk?’

THUD!

A heavy footstep.

A vibration deep and crushing, enough to rattle my mana circuits for a moment.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Black footprints stamped into the runway.

Each step cracked the pavement, carving fissures into the ground.

Heavenly Demon Lord’s Step.

And they weren’t just coming one at a time.

They came from all directions.

A full 360-degree onslaught.

Bearing down on me like a hunting tiger.

The truly terrifying part was—

Every single footprint gave off a presence.

The aura of an 8th-level superhuman.

The mana wave of a transcendent warrior.

Attacking in tandem with stealth and clones.

This was the Queen of the Night’s way of fighting—an SSR-tier character born from Mahu.

‘Hmph.’

But I only scoffed.

[Eye of God]

I focused my gaze.

Starlight-like radiance burst from my eyes, piercing through illusion and reality alike.

And then I saw what the footprints truly were.

All of them were real.

But also fake.

Each footprint was a condensed mana construct, a composite of pure energy—but the real Queen of the Night—

She was right beneath me.

Closing in like a ghost, from under the earth!

CRACK-BOOOOM!

Lightning struck.

A black flash of thunder slammed into me at the speed of light.

From all 360 degrees, from every footprint—dozens of Queen of the Nights appeared, each one striking me with Heavenly Demon Heaven-Breaking Palm.

[Master of the Sword] == [[Sword God]] == [Master of the Sword]

Reflexively, the Master of the Sword trait evolved.

In that instant, a terrifying awareness overtook my instincts.

Where and how to deflect the barrage of Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique.

And how to counter to drive a strike straight through the heart.

A realm of utter transcendence.

In that moment, the level 8 Queen of the Night looked as feeble as a child.

Shhhhh.

I danced with flowing grace.

Neutralized the flurry of fist strikes.

I slipped, deflected, struck pressure points, and countered.

The Black Tiger Sword had turned translucent.

It had gone beyond merely manifesting sword energy.

What should I even call this?

A Black Tiger Sword that holds not just starlight, but the whole cosmos.

Before this blade—one that slices through law and shatters providence—every trace of Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique melted away and vanished.

[It’s over.]

A chilling psychic wave burrowed into my mind.

A black spike surged upward.

A colossal dark pillar, thick as a utility pole, pierced through me.

A fusion of Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique and Frozen Ice Demon Technique.

Darkness, divinity, and cold—three attributes fused into one ultimate move.

Not a bad combo.

Disorient with clone strikes drawn from Heavenly Demon Lord’s Step.

Lock down the target.

Then unleash the final strike from beneath with a death spike.

Would’ve worked—if I hadn’t already seen it with Eye of God.

[Flash Step]

Having already read everything, I had moved to the far end of the runway.

RUMMMMBLE! 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The runway where the spike landed was shattered.

No—an entire sinkhole was opening up.

Asphalt and concrete were sucked in layer by layer.

Even the plane parked far off began rolling toward the void.

I ignored it.

Switched traits and hurled Mjolnir from my belt.

Mjolnir skipped through space and smashed into the Queen of the Night.

Simultaneously activated Lightning of Annihilation.

Blinding white lightning slammed into the Queen of the Night, the runway, the sinkhole, and the airplane alike.

FLASH! KABOOOM!

A violent explosion.

Lightning first, then the blast.

Flames surged, leaping into the sky.

Mjolnir had already returned.

As I fired Lightning of Annihilation again, I pulled two weapons from the armory.

Mountain Wail.

And Hailstorm.

BANG! BANG! PFFT-PFFT-PFFT! BOOM! KABOOM!

I fired without pause.

With every pull of the trigger, a different trait swapped in.

[Limitless Myth]

[Ice Control]

Those names felt good enough.

Alternating waves of fire and frost descended.

The runway melted.

Then instantly froze over.

Extreme heat and extreme cold crossed paths, splitting and fracturing, until everything was utterly destroyed.

No—vaporized.

Combined with the periodic flashes of Lightning of Annihilation—

Only a giant crater remained of the runway.

Nothing else.

The plane, the runway, even the airport building—everything had been erased.

As if a colossal being had scooped a chunk of the world away with one hand.

Complete and utter annihilation.

‘Maybe I hit her a bit too hard?’

But it wasn’t over.

A creeping shadow brushed against my back.

Did I take the hit?

I could’ve used the evolved trait [Adamant Colossus] to tank it, but why bother?

Doesn’t hurt, sure—but it’s annoying.

So I kicked.

THWACK!

“Gurk!”

A clean spinning back kick.

The Queen of the Night coughed blood as she was sent flying.

I spun.

Caught up to her instantly.

Slammed her with a brutal shield bash.

Hit her around the dantian—lower abdomen—and blood spewed like a fountain again.

“How dare you! How dare you!”

A horde of shadows lunged from behind, too late.

Looked like they wanted to pierce my spine and launch a combo, but it was pointless.

I’d seen them from the start.

I chased the Queen of the Night relentlessly.

As fast as she flew, I sped up just as much.

Unleashed a storm of strikes.

Snapped her jaw.

Pounded her heart.

Shattered her leg with a low kick.

Destroyed her shoulder with an elbow.

Stabbed with the Black Tiger Sword, slammed with the shield, hammered down with Mjolnir.

The Queen of the Night’s eyes glinted in the darkness.

Her hands moved in a blur.

Black qi repelled and deflected my strikes.

Even managed to counter here and there—chilling, insidious energy trying to invade my mana circuits.

But I scoffed and brushed it off.

Even if twisted by the Old Father.

Even if corrupted into poison and curse.

Even if warped by Frozen Ice Demon Technique into something grotesque—

At its core, it was still Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique.

I might not be able to transplant it.

But I could replicate it.

“Huh?”

The Queen of the Night’s eyes widened.

She couldn’t believe the dark energy was failing to linger in my body.

I calmly observed her and the mutated Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique.

I was curious if I could use it to enhance my World Trait, but—no reaction.

Disappointing.

Even if Divine Army Commander’s Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique was a bit rough, it was clearly a higher-tier version than what the Queen of the Night used.

“You’re worse than Divine Army Commander.”

“What?”

“You’re weaker than Divine Army Commander.”

It was inevitable.

Divine Army Commander—an orthodox warrior.

Queen of the Night—a mix of assassin and warrior.

If Divine Army Commander lost in a straight fight, that would make no sense.

The Queen of the Night’s facial muscles twitched with fury.

“Bullshit! I was way stronger than Senior Brother! I almost won the duel before he inherited the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique!”

“Nope. You’re way weaker. If Divine Army Commander’s a 100, you’re an 85? Maybe less. Guess the Heavenly Demon knew what he was doing.”

“Y-You brat! You dare!”

The Queen of the Night vanished again.

Her stealth technique kicked in once more.

Her disappearing act from head-on—definitely flashy.

But after seeing it this many times, I was starting to get bored.

I’d already figured out the trick. Honestly, if I dumped enough mana and traits into it, I could probably copy it too.

But rather than bother with that—

Might as well blow her away in one go.

BOOM!

I stomped the ground.

[Earth] == [[Goddess of the Land]] == [Earth]

Divine power surged forth.

Like the might of a Sacred Knight, it coursed through my feet—sending a seismic shockwave that tore the earth apart.

A single strike, crafted from the replicated Heavenly Demon Lord’s Step.

“Kh!”

The Queen of the Night reappeared—covered in blood.

“H-How… how do you know the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique?!”

“The world’s a big place.”

The Queen of the Night was already finished.

Her body was crumbling.

Her fingertips, her toes—turning to dust and scattering into the wind.

But it seemed she couldn’t even feel it.

She scraped together what little mana she had left, drawing once more on the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique.

“Not yet… it’s not over yet!”

“Tsk.”

The Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique wasn’t seated in her dantian—but in her spine.

I could see it.

Because I had Eye of God, I could pinpoint it exactly.

I saw that the cultivation technique was volatilizing like oil set on fire.

I could even see it stringing away, like a trail of smoke, flying westward to some unknown place.

The Queen of the Night had been a mere sacrifice from the start.

It had always been strange.

What would happen if she killed Poca?

The Queen of the Night must have thought she just needed to take Poca’s heart or blood to the Old Father.

So did I, at first.

But could it really be that simple?

Poca Cult and the Mama Quilla Cult would’ve torn the world apart to stop that.

They’d have mobilized the Living Gods if they had to.

The Old Father must’ve realized that was too uncertain a path—and chose a different method.

He used up the Queen of the Night, evaporated the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique, and redirected the spoils to himself.

‘If I’d shown up even a few hours later, I’d have been in serious trouble.’

Watching the Queen of the Night vaporize, I gripped the Black Tiger Sword.

“Let’s finish this.”

The Queen of the Night would die even if I left her alone.

But I couldn’t just watch.

Every single wisp of mana flying off her was heading toward the Old Father—or to the Saintess.

The mana shed today…

Would become the Saintess’s power tomorrow.

[Kalaratri] == [[Trishula]] == [Kalaratri]

I leapt like lightning.

The Black Tiger Sword—or rather, I—transformed into the very concept of destruction.

Like the trident wielded by the god Shiva.

An ultimate force. A light of annihilation and extinction. A supreme weapon that truly existed in this world, born of apocalyptic polarity.

FLASH!

A streak of light with no beginning and no tail.

It pierced the Queen of the Night.

And the moment I willed it—

I was already on the other side of the runway, through her body.

The ruined airport dissolved behind me.

“I… I…”

The air itself had vanished.

Only emptiness remained upon the earth.

Suspended in that void, the Queen of the Night’s body twitched faintly.

Just for a moment.

A single black tear formed—

And even that scattered into nothing.

Her body, over 190 centimeters tall.

Her mana circuits, once packed with power.

All turned to ash, swept away by the blowing wind.

This was the end of one who, blinded by greed and inferiority, sold both herself and her master’s heart.

Clack.

I sheathed my sword.

“Huff… huff… haah…”

The High Archbishop arrived late.

He took one look at the obliterated airport, the drifting ashes—

Then turned to me and asked,

“It’s over, right? The curse laid by Poca has been lifted too, yes?”

“Not yet.”

It was a divine curse, after all.

Even though we destroyed two relay points, it hadn’t been completely lifted.

“T-Then what must we do?”

“Gather the artisans.”

“Pardon?”

“There are artisans in your church, yes? People skilled in gemcraft, ornamentation, or sculpture. I need you to bring them to me. It’s the only way to fully heal him.”

Though truthfully, the artisans themselves weren’t the real requirement.

What I really needed… was the traits they carried.

Especially Adornment.

Among the performance-related traits—Dance, Song, Music, Prayer, Acting, Adornment—the last one was key.

If I wanted to save Poca.

If I wanted to completely erase the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique, now corrupted into poison and curse—

I’d need to use [Wish].