Trait Hoarder

Rampage — Part 3

Skeleton Snake gazed at the ring in her hand.

Her eyes grew hazy, as if she were staring into a distant past—centuries ago, when dynastic kingdoms still ruled this land.

“This is… the Prophet’s…”

Skeleton Snake rolled the ring between her fingers, then stared at her hand for a long time before letting out a sigh.

“The prophecy has been fulfilled.”

Prophecy?

What was it again?

Something about a tongue, blood, and flesh… That was all I could recall. It wasn’t a phrase that ever appeared in the game, so I didn’t know much about it.

Skeleton Snake began retching violently.

A strange sight unfolded.

A chunk of mana surged upward from her stomach—or rather, from her entire internal system—twisting its way out.

What emerged was a massive mana core.

Even I was momentarily stunned.

Perhaps it was because she was a mutant of mutants.

Even after expelling her mana core, Skeleton Snake remained alive and well.

In its place, a mana circuit had formed.

Not a mana core like that of a mutant or a monster, but a mana circuit akin to those of superhumans.

‘She really became human?’

Should I call it a complex reaction caused by the overlapping blessings of three gods? Or simply a miracle?

This was something that had been impossible even in the game.

“Haa…”

Skeleton Snake held the mana core and the ring in her hands, her expression tangled with conflicting emotions.

She staggered and approached me.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s been so long. This cold wind, this air—I haven’t felt them in two hundred years.”

Skeleton Snake took a deep breath.

It was an incredible sight.

She was certainly not human.

Internally, she had no organs—her body was nothing more than a mass of solidified liquid from the monstrous bath.

And yet, she was breathing normally, her body regulating temperature.

Her mana circuit was functioning properly.

She would likely be able to eat, digest, and even excrete like a normal person.

Would calling her a synthetic human be accurate?

“Here, take this.”

“Are you sure you want me to have it?”

“The Prophet must have wanted this. That’s why he embedded his ring into my heart. I always wondered why I couldn’t find it when we parted ways.”

“It seems incredibly valuable…”

“That’s exactly why you should have it. Black Tiger Swordmaster, treasures always find their rightful owners.”

With a firm gesture, she handed me the mana core and the ring.

First, I inspected the Prophet’s Ring.

It was clearly the superior version of the Danger Detection Ring.

In the game, it functioned as an all-seeing tool for internal information.

For example, it would reveal the full map of a randomly generated dungeon or display the rewards inside treasure chests before you opened them.

In this world, it would likely have abilities such as [Foresight], [Insight], and [Clairvoyance].

‘Predicting the future might be too much to hope for.’

Prophecy was an ability restricted to mage-class characters who specialized in the Prophet build, and even then, it wasn’t fully implemented in the game.

Not that it mattered.

Just knowing in advance whether something was a threat or an opportunity would already be a massive boon.

“As for the mana core, I think you should keep it. You might need it yourself, Skeleton Snake.”

“No, it’s for you.”

“For me?”

“The Great Mother is speaking to me. She says you’ll need my mana core to reach Level 6.”

“But you’re not even a warrior-class superhumans.”

When I reached Level 5, I had required four mana cores: a Giant’s core, a Demon Body’s core, a Yaksha’s core, and a Thunderbird’s core.

All of them belonged to the warrior class.

According to the predictions of the Mana Spirit, my next advancement would require warrior-class mutant mana cores, and I had agreed with that assessment.

But Skeleton Snake shook her head.

“That’s wrong. This time, you’ll need a variety of types. Warrior, Enhanced, Mage, and Priest—the mana cores of mutants from all four main classes.”

“That many?”

“Yes. Ah, the Great Mother has provided a blueprint.”

Skeleton Snake extended her hand, and a single leaf fluttered down onto her palm.

On it were elegant Chinese characters, each etched as though they might fly off the page.

[巨獸熊][骸骨蛇][祕傳梟][三目怪]

[將軍劍][衛星銃][重力杖][七星珠]

What is this?

I could manage English just fine, but Chinese characters were another matter entirely.

How could I know something I’d never learned?

I stood there holding the leaf, dumbfounded, until Skeleton Snake began explaining each part.

“Don’t know Chinese, huh? In order, it’s Grizzly Bear, Skeleton Snake, Secret Owl, and the Three-Eyed Mutant. You’ll need the mana cores from these four mutants.”

“Grizzly Bear, Skeleton Snake, Secret Owl, and the Three-Eyed Mutant…”

“And these… they’re the General’s Sword, Satellite Gun, Gravity Staff, and Seven-Star Bead. Looks like the Great Mother is saying you need not just mana cores, but also mana circuits extracted from these artifacts as sub-materials. And you’ll need to add a few supplemental materials, like Nectar.”

The General’s Sword, Satellite Gun, Gravity Staff, and Seven-Star Bead?@@novelbin@@

What is this, a Chinese incantation?

I only felt confused for a moment.

Then, with my 10,000 hours of gaming experience, the answer came to me.

‘This is Baekma Hill, isn’t it?’

In the real world, it had been the site of one of the fiercest battles of the Korean War.

In Arcane Seoul, it was given the same setting.

On nights with a full moon, the space there would distort, summoning hordes of undead and spectral Chinese soldiers.

The four named artifacts were iconic loot from that area.

It sounded like an incantation because the names had been strung together in a Chinese-inspired poetic style.

Thankfully, they could all be found in the same location.

That was much better than having to run all over the place.

“I understand now. Thank you. Please relay my gratitude to the Great Mother.”

“The Great Mother will be pleased.”

Listening to this, Grizzly Bear’s ears perked up.

Then, in an exaggerated motion, he spread his arms and made a dramatic gesture as though slashing his own chest.

“You need my mana core? Take it right now! I wouldn’t hesitate to give my life for my friends!”

“Stop being so dramatic and go get your master’s mana core instead. It has to be Level 6, not Level 7.”

“Heh heh heh, I’ll gladly bring it!”

“Me too!”

“Count me in!”

Three more mana cores had been added.

All were Level 6 mana cores.

These were likely treasures, the mana cores of their masters, parents, siblings, or friends—cherished as sacred relics.

And yet, the mutants who handed them over to me did so with bright, cheerful faces.

“Noona has become human!”

“Wow, so soft!”

“I want to become human too…”

“Should I ask my human friend for help?”

Don’t even think about it.

The resources required are one thing, but the process is far too grueling and painful.

Even reconstructing one’s body during a level-up feels like dying; a mutant-of-mutants undergoing a transformation is far worse.

It’s a process so excruciating that dying in the middle of it wouldn’t be surprising.

But unexpectedly, Skeleton Snake said something no one anticipated.

“If any of you want to become human, let me know. I can help.”

“Noona can?”

“For real?”

“Of course. Thanks to what happened earlier, the Great Mother has greatly risen in stature. She’s acquired new authority. But keep in mind—it will hurt. A lot.”

“How much?”

“You saw it earlier, didn’t you? It’s like being pounded in a giant mortar and then roasted in fire. If you’re okay with that, I’ll help you.”

“Uh…”

The young mutant, who had expressed a desire to become human, nervously darted her eyes around.

“I’ll… think about it first.”

“Fufu, take your time.”

It made sense now why the Tree Mother had permitted the blessings of Thor and Gaia.

In any case, Skeleton Snake had survived.

Thanks to the mana waves emitted during her transformation, even the unstable mutants had regained their equilibrium.

No mutants had died, and none had been injured.

Grizzly Bear let out a powerful roar.

“Bring the booze! It’s time for a festival!”

“Yeah!”

“A festival!”

“Drink! Everyone, drink!”

“Throw him into the keg first!”

“Wait, hold on a second!”

Resistance was futile.

The Level 6 mutants swarmed me and tossed me into an enormous beer barrel.

I was about to get angry, but then… the taste. The smell.

“Huh?”

What the hell?

What did they put in this beer?

It looked like beer, but the refreshing sensation was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.

The moment I plunged in, it drenched me completely, washing away every trace of fatigue.

The aroma that wafted into my nose was the same—invigorating, almost electrifying.

My mind, which had been somewhat weary, instantly cleared, and all my exhaustion vanished.

“Nectar? Don’t tell me… is this nectar beer?”

“Yup. Spent some serious money on it.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You mixed nectar into beer? That insanely expensive stuff? The nectar’s unique effects will all be gone!”

“Yeah, but it tastes amazing! Sprinkle some mana core powder in it, and you’ve got the drink of the gods! Now we know why the gods drank nectar instead of ordinary liquor!”

“I shouldn’t have taught you the mana core powder recipe. Hope Village isn’t a village anymore—it’s Alcohol Village.”

“Hehe, enough talk, just drink up!”

Grizzly Bear dunked my head into the beer barrel.

Even without its unique effects, nectar was still nectar.

Without hesitation, I gulped it down.

I wasn’t even breathing, yet oxygen seemed to supply itself.

If my stomach permitted it, I felt like I could drink the entire barrel of nectar beer.

I could feel strength and mana surging through me.

The combination of the Tree Mother’s blood and nectar beer was enhancing my body.

“Hey! Black Tiger Swordmaster!”

Thunder pulled me out and threw an arm around my shoulder.

“I told you I’d give you all my wealth if you saved Snake, didn’t I? Take it!”

“What are you—whoa!”

Thunder shoved a small jewelry box into my hands.

I nearly dropped it—it was ridiculously heavy.

Despite its small size, it must have had a space expansion spell cast on it. It weighed at least several hundred kilograms.

“Diamonds.”

“Diamonds? How many did you stuff in here?”

“I don’t know. Never counted. I bought one every time I earned money. Probably worth over 10 billion won by now.”

10 billion!

Even I had received money like this only a few times before, but it was an astronomical amount.

Without hesitation, I pocketed the jewelry box.

“Thank you. I’ll put it to good use.”

“Yup, yup! And come visit sometime. Let’s have a drink together.”

“Haha, sure thing.”

It wasn’t just Thunder.

Other mutants approached me one by one, offering me drinks and slipping me gifts.

“This is a token of my appreciation.”

“Take it, take it.”

“Thank you for healing my grandma. You’re truly a great human. If you ever need another Yaksha mana core, just let me know. I’ll give you mine if I have to.”

“Here. Human. My. Gift.”

Gold bars, jewels, rare materials—all of these were the least of it.

Some mutants offered me magical artifacts, Diamonds, top-tier healing potions, and even holy water.

But the jackpot, as expected, came from Grizzly Bear.

“You need nectar, don’t you?”

He handed me five bottles of nectar and three bottles of Elixir.

“Life should be repaid with life. Does this seem fair?”

I already had a decent supply of nectar, but you can never have too much.

Soon, I’d need five bottles for myself, and Janet and Kali would require some when they leveled up as well.

As for Elixir?

Who knew when I’d face another near-death situation like I had against the Massacre Empress?

Thinking about that, Elixirs were absolutely essential.

“Thank you. I needed these badly.”

After that, it was a non-stop drinking party.

Everyone kept offering me drinks until I was on the verge of passing out.

If it weren’t for my combination of [Mighty Body], [Indomitable], and [Undying] Traits, I’d have collapsed long ago.

Night fell before I realized it.

The hunters had long since passed out, and half the mutants were snoring away, drunk out of their minds.

“One more round!”

“For a human, you’re pretty tough!”

“Hah, I’ve never lost a drinking contest to anyone! I’ll even bring the village chief to his knees!”

“Hah, big words for a mere human!”

Grizzly Bear and the Association President clinked their glasses together.

It was a nonsensical contest.

For Grizzly Bear, the glass was the size of an espresso cup.

For the President, it was the size of his own head.

Clink! Clink!

The sound of their glasses colliding rang out cheerfully.

By the time the night was nearly over, both of them were slurring their words.

“Back in my day, do you know how many Japanese bastards I killed?”

“Of course, we all know. You were a freedom fighter, weren’t you? There isn’t a single person in Korea who doesn’t know that the village chief fought for independence.”

“Then why do you humans keep making our lives miserable!”

“Those bastards are the problem, chief. Really, they’re awful people. Because of those poachers, our association kept getting blamed unfairly. But don’t worry, we’ve expelled every single one of them from the association, and we crush them whenever we catch them. Please don’t stay angry. Come on, let’s have another drink, all in one go.”

This was quite the rare sight.

The Association President, not someone with specially tailored Traits like me, but just an ordinary sniper, was managing to outdrink the mutants and even wear them down.

Even though the mutants were drinking alcohol laced with mana core powder, which made them get drunk faster, their resistance to substances should still be much higher than that of ordinary superhumanss.

When I stared at the scene, the Association President gave me a thumbs-up.

“Director! I can hold my liquor. Care for a drinking contest?”

“Sure, let’s do it.”

“M-Me too… just one more…”

Grizzly Bear, who had been holding on until now, suddenly collapsed forward.

The Association President yelped and jumped out of the way to avoid being crushed.

Grizzly Bear lay flat on his back, his chest heaving as he snored loudly, “Puuuuh, puuuh.”

The Association President sat beside him, chuckling bitterly.

“This is unexpected.”

“What is?”

“To be honest, I didn’t have the best impression of the people here in the village.”

He spoke in a voice so low that no one but me could hear.

I decided to address it directly.

“That’s understandable. They don’t exactly have the most approachable appearance.”

“N-No, that’s not what I meant.”

“It’s fine. They understand that much. It’s really just about appearances. Humans are like that, aren’t they? If someone looks different, we discriminate or avoid them.”

“…True.”

“But their hearts are purer than those of city folk. Try to approach them without any prejudice, President. Our association will have many dealings with Hope Village in the future.”

“You’re right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

We drank some more, downing cup after cup.

By the time dawn was nearing, with the first light of day creeping over the horizon, even the Association President couldn’t hold on any longer.

He ended up sprawled across Grizzly Bear’s ample belly, snoring peacefully with an utterly relaxed expression.

“Hahaha.”

It was amusing.

The Hunters’ Association and Monster Village, sworn enemies in the game—always on the brink of tearing each other apart—were now drinking together and even sleeping side by side.

This was undoubtedly a change I had brought about.

I quietly got up.

Leaving behind the snoring chorus of Monster Village, I stepped out.

On my way home, I reached out to the mansion management spirit through Red Cougar’s magic spirit.

[Master. The blueprint analysis is complete. As you instructed, the General’s Sword, Satellite Gun, Gravity Staff, and Seven-Star Bead are required.]

“When’s the next full moon?”

[It’s tonight.]

I clenched my fist, feeling the strength of my body and the flow of my mana.

This was the peak.

The absolute limit of Level 5.

Drinking divine blood and soaking in nectar beer had clearly paid off.

If that’s the case…

And if the full moon rises tonight…

It’s time to challenge Level 6.

Right now.

–TL Notes–

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