Trait Hoarder

Dragons and Fleece – Part 3

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Fire poured down.

A tidal wave of deep blue flames surged toward me.

The Golden Dragon had been gathering mana for a surprise attack from the very start.

I didn’t dodge.

Instead, I leapt straight into the azure inferno.

Activating the Golden Fleece as I did.

A golden barrier layered around me, overlapping like reinforced armor.

All it did was obscure my vision, distorting the world in a haze of heat.

“[Hahaha, foolish insect! You fell for it!]”

The Golden Dragon laughed triumphantly, snapping its jaws forward.

The flames were a feint—the real attack was a bite.

Its massive fangs lunged toward me, intent on crushing me whole.

The Golden Fleece’s invincibility wasn’t permanent.

If it clamped down and held me, the effect would eventually wear off.

“Tch.”

Didn’t matter.

The moment its jaws closed around me, I activated Phasing.

Whoosh!

“[Wha—?!]”

My body became ghostlike.

I phased right through the dragon’s teeth.

Bones, flesh, and scales passed by in a blur, revealing my target—

Its thick, exposed nape.

I was already drawing my sword.

Equipping Master of the Sword and Nephilim’s Sword, I drove my blade in without hesitation.

“KRAAAAAH!”

I had swapped out Dragon’s Roar for a finishing strike.

A violent mana backlash crashed into my mind.

Blood trickled down my lips.

The thrashing dragon wrenched my sword free, flinging me away.

As I hurtled through the air, I threw Mjolnir.

BOOM!

Lightning and thunder cracked as Mjolnir slammed into the open wound.

The gash ripped wider, blood spraying like a fountain.

“[You! You miserable insect! I WILL KILL YOU!]”

The Golden Dragon roared, locking its burning gaze onto me.

Vertical pupils gleamed with sheer murderous intent.

I was still airborne.

The dragon opened its jaws wide.

Preparing another blast of Dragon Sovereign Fire.

It thought I had no way to block it—

That I had already exhausted the Immortality of the Golden Fleece.

I needed to prepare.

Before landing, I caught the returning Mjolnir in my left hand.

Unfolded Aegis on my forearm.

With their combined enhancements, I gripped the Black Tiger Sword in my right hand once more.

FWOOSH!

The second blast of Dragon Sovereign Fire erupted.

This time, it was different.

Even before reaching me, the air itself ignited and distorted.

Space itself wavered and cracked under the heat.

This was the real deal.

The dragon had poured everything into this attack.

“Hmph.”

I smirked.

I had endured Solar Flames for over fifteen seconds back when I was Level 3.

What about now?

Now that I was Level 6, clad in SSR-grade equipment, with my trait slots filled with high-tier abilities?

[Magic Resistance] [Fire Resistance] [Darkflame]

[Divine Radiance] [Divine Artifact] [Mana Shield]

Black flames erupted from me.

Behind me, holy light radiated outward.

Darkflame and Divine Radiance intertwined—

Creating a new force.

A power that could be called Darklight, or perhaps Black Radiance.

It surged into Aegis.

The usual milky-white barrier transformed.

A midnight-black shield manifested before me.

Dragon Sovereign Fire struck it head-on.

The beam of flames slammed into the shield like a divine cannon.

But—

It didn’t break through.

The Black Shield trembled violently, my arm nearly fracturing under the pressure—

Yet it held.

The all-consuming heat seared my skin, warping it with burns—

Yet it did not kill me.

“KRAAAAAH!”

But the Golden Dragon roared in triumph.

Not in frustration—

But in victory.

I hadn’t activated Dragon’s Roar, so I couldn’t understand its words.

But I could guess.

It was probably saying—

“[Did I get him?]”

I shoved the shield aside.

Residual flames burst outward, dust and embers scattering.

And at that moment, my gaze met the dragon’s.

Its eyes widened in shock.

I smirked.

Then, I swapped traits—

And lunged forward.

“[DIE, INSECT!]”

Magic rained down.

Firebolts, lightning strikes, ice spears, earth projectiles—

A barrage of elemental destruction.

I ignored it all.

I had Magic Resistance and Magic Reflection.

BOUNCE! BOUNCE! BOUNCE!

I deflected everything with Shield Mastery.

The dragon’s own magic became my weapon.

“GRAAAAAAH!”

It howled as its own spells struck it.

Then, it crouched low—

And whipped its massive tail.

WHOOOSH!

A devastating tail swipe.

I counted silently.

Waited.

Then—

FLASH!

The world flickered.

Darkness blinked into light.

When my vision stabilized, I was already airborne.

Right above the dragon’s head.

Falling directly toward—

The open wound I had slashed earlier.

“[YOU LITTLE WRETCH!]”

I executed Aerial Assault into Geumo Divine Strike.

Plummeting, I drove the Black Tiger Sword into the exposed wound.

With only Master of the Sword equipped, I didn’t even need anything else.

That alone was enough.

The blade sank to the hilt.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Golden Dragon went berserk.

It thrashed wildly, crashing into its nest.

Its wings flailed, sending waves of force through the air.

It tried to shake me off—

But I held on with everything I had.

This was the final push.

I had landed two fatal blows already.

If I fell now, I’d be in serious trouble.

‘Can’t give it time to recover.’

The Golden Fleece carried Immortality and Resurrection.

The Golden Dragon had been absorbing its power for two thousand years.

It might not be able to revive, but it definitely had some level of Regeneration.

Given just a few seconds, it would fully recover.

Even the wounds I inflicted earlier—

They were already half-healed.

I had to end it now.

[Giant’s Strength] [Dragon’s Roar] [Vajra Body]

[Divine Artifact] [Holy Radiance] [Thunderbolt]

I clung to the dragon’s back, pouring all my power into my next attack.

Since a dragon’s roar consumed massive amounts of mana, I simply equipped Dragon’s Roar and nullified the Golden Dragon’s howls.

I endured being slammed into the ground and smashed against the walls using Vajra Body.

I maximized Mjolnir’s power through Divine Artifact, enhanced it with Holy Radiance, and infused it with Thunderbolt.

Then, I replicated the technique demonstrated by the Pontiff of the Thor Order.

In other words—

I created Annihilation Thunder.

Bzzzzzzzt.

A transparent bolt of lightning crackled, vibrating ominously.

I raised my left hand high.

CRACKLE!

The heavens answered.

A thunderbolt descended, striking Mjolnir—and my hand.

I swung it down.

“Die.”

BOOOOOOM!

Thunder roared. Lightning exploded.

Flesh burst apart, evaporating into mist.

Scales, tendons, bones—everything crumbled into nothing.

A massive hole gaped open in the back of the Golden Dragon’s neck.

“[KRAAAAAH! I’LL KILL YOU!]”

The Golden Dragon howled in madness.

But the battle had already turned in my favor.

I clenched my teeth and hammered Mjolnir down.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Four times.

Like a blacksmith forging steel.

Like a demolisher tearing down a building.

I broke and broke the Golden Dragon.

It wasn’t easy.

The dragon desperately fought back.

At first, it rampaged inside its nest.

Then, it took to the skies, twisting and flipping in the air in an attempt to shake me off.

It even cast magic upon itself, trying to blast me away.

But none of it worked.

I swapped traits dozens of times and held on.

And so, after hours of battle—

A fight that began at midday and stretched until sunset—

With the western sky painted crimson by the dying light—

It was finally time to end it.

“[Grrrr…]”

A dying groan.

The Golden Dragon staggered.

It began to fall.

Back to where the fight had started—

Back to its nest.

BOOOOOM!

The impact shook the world.

“Urgh…!”

I coughed up blood.

The Golden Dragon had cushioned the landing, but the accumulated shock to my body had reached its limit.

“Grrhh… khh…”

The Golden Dragon let out a weak whimper.

Its eyes had lost focus.

Even with its Regeneration trait, it had lost too much blood.

This was the end.

Shlick!

I pulled out the Black Tiger Sword—hilt and all.

Holding my blade, I stepped between its two massive horns.

A dragon’s vital point.

Between the horns, past the thick scales—

A single strike here would pierce the brain.

Even a dragon wouldn’t survive that.

“[Spare me… Please…]”

The Golden Dragon begged for its life.

“[Just spare me… I’ll give you everything. Do you seek an elixir of miracles? A legendary magic sword imbued with high-level enchantments? Gold—endless gold! If you let me live, I will reveal my secret treasure hoard!]” ℟𝔞ɴ∅ΒË𝘴

Utter nonsense.

It had no such treasures.

This dragon had spent two thousand years sleeping, hoarding nothing but the Golden Fleece and a gold mine.

“I don’t need it.”

CRUNCH.

I drove my sword in.

Releasing a black-and-white sword aura as I did.

Squeezing out the last of my mana, I watched as the light faded from the dragon’s eyes.

Its massive head slumped forward with a dull thud.

A Golden Dragon that had ignored the warnings of its instincts—

And put all its faith in Dragon Sovereign Fire.

That was its downfall.

“Haaa…”

Relief washed over me.

Pain I had been ignoring surged through my body all at once.

Every inch of my skin burned.

My hair was completely singed.

My throat felt like sandpaper.

Whoosh!

I activated the Golden Fleece.

Golden waves of energy rippled outward, healing my injuries.

I didn’t need potions or trait swaps.

My body regenerated rapidly, the pain vanishing in moments.

I pulled out a drink, took a sip, and admired my spoils.

“…It’s huge.”

The Golden Dragon may have been Level 7, but it was as old as an Elder Dragon.

Massive in size, overflowing with valuable materials.

What would I do with it?

Take everything, of course.

Everything here was money and magic materials.

Even a novice blacksmith could forge an R-rank magic weapon from dragon parts.

With the right artisan, SSR-rank gear was possible.

‘I should upgrade the Geumo Set.’

The Geumo Set and Golden Dragon complemented each other perfectly.

Even in the game, it could be enhanced to SSR-rank.

I drew my blade and began disassembling the dragon.

Starting with the chest.

The first priority—the heart.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Though it had stopped beating, it still pulsed with mana.

Examining its internal circuits, I smirked.

[Dragon Sovereign Fire]

The trait was dormant within.

‘I’ll use this to make a Level 7 Trait Elixir.’

To create Supreme Flame, I needed six traits—

Darkflame, Solar Flames, Hellfire, Dragon Sovereign Fire, Celestial Fire, and Chaos Flame.

This was the fourth one.

All that remained was acquiring Celestial Fire from Olympus and Chaos Flame from the Great Rift.

Once I had those, I’d be ready to claim victory against the Sun Mage Tower in our long-standing wager.

Almost a year had passed since that bet, hadn’t it?

Shlick. Slice. Squish.

I methodically butchered the dragon.

For the first time in a while, I used my Butcher trait.

A trait I had acquired from hunting the Mountain King in the Cheorwon War.

The dragon’s horns, eyes, nose, tongue, scales, bones, and flesh—

I harvested everything, piling it up in a mountain of materials.

“Red, store this in the Sky Ship.”

[Yes, Master.]

The harvested parts were transported onto the Sky Ship’s deck.

Magic golems and drones worked tirelessly, moving the materials.

Again, the Sky Ship was the size of an aircraft carrier.

It could hold an entire Elder Dragon without issue.

“…Hah.”

“…The Golden Dragon…”

“What… what do we do now?”

“This… This isn’t right…”

Villagers and pilgrims stood at a distance, anxiously shifting their feet.

The villagers had lost their main tourist attraction overnight.

The pilgrims had lost their chance to claim even a single strand of the Golden Fleece.

Well… that wasn’t my problem.

The villagers could mine the gold instead of relying on the dragon.

The pilgrims?

If they searched the gold mines thoroughly, they might find a few strands of fleece.

It wouldn’t kill them to put in some effort.

ROOOOAAARRR!

With the disassembly complete, I soared into the sky.

Aboard the Sky Ship.

This was intentional.

When you slay a Golden Dragon, you don’t keep it quiet.

The louder I broadcast my feat, the better the rewards would be in Olympus.

I arrived at Mount Mytikas at dawn the next day.

Just as the warm spring sunlight began illuminating the world.

Slowly, I descended—

Toward the Gaia Grand Temple, nestled on the mountainside.

Pilgrims were already lining up.

They looked up at the Sky Ship, shielding their eyes from the morning glare.

As I reduced the ship’s size and docked it to the side, their expressions shattered.

“What is that?”

“Is that… is that meat?”

“I feel powerful mana radiating from it…”

“Horns! Look at those horns!”

“They’re huge! At least ten times bigger than an elephant’s tusks!”

“A dragon! It’s a dragon’s corpse!”

“What?! A dragon?”

“It’s unmistakable! I saw dragon horns and dragon teeth in a museum before!”

“Are you sure?”

“No doubt about it!”

“A Golden Dragon! A Golden Dragon has been slain!”

Anyone attempting to ascend Olympus knew the Twelve Trials inside and out.

And now—

A Golden Dragon’s corpse had appeared before them?

Not only that, but it had been perfectly processed, ready to be crafted into weapons?

The murmurs spread like wildfire.

Even up to the Gaia Grand Temple atop the mountain.

Pegasi took to the skies.

Heavily armed Paladins circled above before landing on the Sky Ship’s deck.

They weren’t alone.

The blindfolded priestess and priests I had seen inside the temple the previous day were also among them.

“Oh, Gaia’s vision… Oh, the setting sun of the West…”

The blindfolded priestess let out a sighing prayer.

“Where is the Golden Fleece?”

“Here.”

I extended both arms.

The priestess gently ran her fingers over the fleece, then shook her head.

“It is a flawless masterpiece. Not a single strand is damaged.”

“Does this mean the trial is complete?”

“Yes. Perfectly complete—no, even ‘perfect’ does not do it justice. You went beyond expectations and even slayed the greedy dragon itself. You have transcended the trial.”

The priestess glanced at me before continuing.

“The Golden Fleece was originally meant for the gods. Even as the Stigmata’s Protector, you would need to offer it to enter Olympus. However—since you have slain the greedy Golden Dragon, you now have other options.”

She paused for emphasis.

“The first option is to offer the Golden Fleece as tribute.”

“The second option is to offer the Golden Dragon’s corpse instead. If you choose this, not only will you enter Olympus, but you will be invited as an honored guest to the gods’ grand banquet.”

Was she crazy?

The Golden Fleece and the Golden Dragon’s corpse were mine.

I wasn’t handing them over to anyone—not even the gods.

“There’s a third option, isn’t there?”

“Yes. Since you have transcended the trial, you may keep both the Golden Fleece and the Golden Dragon’s corpse. However, in this case, while you will be allowed entry into Olympus, you will not be invited to the gods’ banquet. If you still wish to attend, you must complete additional trials within Olympus.”

That was exactly what I wanted.

There were a few easy-to-acquire traits in Olympus.

And some that were absolutely essential.

I nodded firmly.

“I’ll take the third option.”

“As expected. To challenge trial after trial, to overcome every hardship and ascend to the constellations—that is the true nature of a hero.”

The priestess turned away.

“Open the Grand Gate.”

Her voice, imbued with mana, reverberated through the air.

The response was immediate.

RUMMMMMBLE!

A deep, grinding noise.

This wasn’t the side door used by ordinary pilgrims.

Nor was it the small gate reserved for those who completed their trials adequately.

Not even the main gate, which opened only for legendary heroes recognized across the world.

No—

This was the Grand Gate.

A term used to refer to the Gaia Grand Temple itself.@@novelbin@@

The temple—built like a fortress—began to split apart, its stone walls parting to reveal a path forward.

Opening wide—

For me alone.

–TL Notes–

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