Trait Hoarder

Castle of the Inexplicable – Part 4

It was almost an instinctual reflex.

[Feign Death]

I swapped my trait.

I slumped down without a sound, making sure not a single trace of my presence escaped.

The world around me faded into a dull gray.

My heartbeat slowed to the point where it felt like it had stopped, and my breathing was nearly nonexistent.

That was when Arctic Sovereign casually averted its gaze.

I let out a silent sigh of relief.

Was it because it was Level 8?

If I had been just a little closer, I would’ve been caught.

‘Better wait a little longer.’

Thankfully, the area was full of jagged ice spikes, standing tall as if they were trees.

I could use them for cover as I set up the bait.

There was also a perfect clearing up ahead.

Were the three Captains doing okay?

Judging by how Arctic Sovereign was staring off at the distant ice suns, it seemed like they hadn’t been detected.

Carefully, I crawled through the ice spikes.

I had Stealth active, but considering it had already sensed me once, I couldn’t afford to be careless.

Finally, I reached the clearing.

While Arctic Sovereign basked in the sunlight, I finished my setup.

I took out the bait from my golf bag and placed it down.

Then, I hid among the ice spikes again and reactivated Feign Death.

‘It should find it soon.’

Arctic Sovereign wasn’t exactly a genius.

KIIIIIIIII—!

As expected.

It quickly spotted the bait and let out a piercing cry, eerily similar to a banshee’s wail.

It spread its wings and took off.

A sharp ascent—

Followed by a sonic boom as it plummeted downward.

It accelerated faster than a supersonic jet, its speed even greater than before.

“Kiiiii?”

Arctic Sovereign tilted its head as it landed in front of the dragon meat bait.

Of course, it was suspicious.

This was its personal territory, an endless frozen wasteland where nothing existed but ice.

And yet, suddenly, there was a giant, delicious-looking chunk of meat just sitting there.

But it had been sealed away for decades by the Grand Elders of the Castle of the Inexplicable.

It hadn’t tasted dragon meat in over fifty years.

If it had the self-control to resist, it wouldn’t be a birdbrain.

Gulp!

Arctic Sovereign swallowed the bait in one bite.

It seemed unsatisfied with the portion, so it wandered around restlessly.

Its massive body came dangerously close to the ice spikes where I was hiding.

I held my breath.

“Kiiii… Kii. Kiiiiii…”

Arctic Sovereign let out a strange, low cry.

Then, it spread its wings wide.

BOOM! FWOOOOOSH!

A shockwave erupted.

A powerful sonic burst followed.

Every ice spike in the area shattered.

When I opened my eyes, Arctic Sovereign had already returned to its nest.

It scanned its surroundings, as if it had already forgotten about the bait it had just eaten.

‘Damn…’

Level 8 was no joke.

Even though I hadn’t fought it directly, my entire body ached as if I’d been beaten to a pulp.

I shifted slightly, rolling onto my side.

I activated Bright Eyes and Sixth Sense, keeping watch on Arctic Sovereign.

It didn’t have any detection-based traits, so this much should be fine.

Earlier, it had likely sensed me through sheer beastly instinct.

Time passed.

Almost thirty minutes had gone by.

Just as I was starting to get impatient, something changed.

Arctic Sovereign’s head suddenly drooped.

“Kiiit?”

It shook its head, confused.

But the sleeping potion I had made wasn’t something it could shrug off.

Especially with the added Hypnos catalyst.

Even a Level 9 divine beast would be affected by this—

Say, for example, a Phoenix.

Or the Phoenix.

Arctic Sovereign didn’t last much longer.

Its head bobbed up and down before finally slumping over.

At minimum, it would be asleep for an hour.

At most, two hours.

Unless it was directly attacked, it wouldn’t wake up.

Tap!

I moved.

I sprinted toward its nest at full speed.

The Stealth barrier dropped.

The three Captains were also rushing toward the same location.

The elf rode the wind.

The Rock Giant thundered forward.

The Nine-Tailed Fox danced with foxfire.

“It worked!”

“Oi, human! I knew you could do it!”

“Head to the back of the nest! That’s where the frozen statues are!”

A vast clearing—

No, it was more like a frozen plain.

Countless ice statues littered the landscape.

Different races.

Ordinary animals.

Beasts, monsters.

Even plants.

And of course—dragons.

Any lifeform that existed in Arcane Seoul could be found here—

Except for demons and beings from other dimensions.

“Brother!”

The elf became one with the wind, dashing forward.

“Brother!”

Sword drawn, elemental spirits in hand.

The Northern Winds were truly terrifying.

It made sense that Level 7 superhumans had been turned into ice statues.

But even summoned ice spirits had been frozen solid—what kind of nonsense was that?

“Warrior! Hurry!”

“I’m on it. Once they wake up, make them drink the medicine.”

I pulled out the Flame Bead from my golf bag.

I swung it toward the frozen statues.

A brilliant red flame shot forward.

The flames engulfed the elf statue—

And then pierced into the frozen ice spirit in its left hand.

Crack!

With a harsh breath, a male elf gasped awake.

The Guard Captain.

The elf immediately rushed forward.

“Brother! Are you okay?!”

“H-Huh? Where am I…?”

“Calm down. Drink this first.”

A Golden Ruler’s Staff Elixir and Immunosuppressant were administered.

No need to drink them.

A pistol-shaped injector was far more efficient.

As expected from the Castle of the Inexplicable, there was no hesitation—

They jammed the injector straight into the back of his neck.

“Move fast!”

I swung the Flame Bead relentlessly.

I activated Speed and Mobility traits, striking rapidly.

To prevent mana depletion, I channeled mana using the Thor Cultivation Technique and Mana Soul.

Boom! Boom boom!

Fireballs exploded.

They roared like fireworks.

Each time, ice melted, and people regained consciousness.

“Hey! Get a grip!”

“If you can’t, I’ll hit you again—”

“I’m fine! I’m awake! Argh, these injections work, but damn, they hurt like hell!”

With the three Captains’ help, recovery efforts progressed rapidly.

The former Captains and Level 7 superhumans remained, while the rest withdrew like the receding tide.

The upcoming Arctic Sovereign raid—

Anyone below Level 6 would be completely useless in that fight.

“Phew.”

I stepped forward, stopping in front of a massive block of ice.

A dragon with wings spread wide.

Enormous.

Twice the size of the Golden Dragon.

It was as big as a large building, or even a jumbo jet.

Compared to an A380 from the real world, this dragon was probably larger.

It wasn’t built for speed—more like a muscular tank, a meathead lizard.

‘This guy was the leader here.’

The leader of the Northern Ice Dragon Legion, who had sensed the threat of Arctic Sovereign and led a temporary alliance to attack.

Thinking about it now, it was insane.

Arctic Sovereign had defeated an entire dragon legion alone.

A pyrrhic victory, one that left it wounded and ultimately led to its sealing in this forbidden zone.

Step. Step.

I slowly approached.

I focused my power into the Flame Bead.

“[Awaken.]”

I spoke in Dragon Speech, launching a fireball.

Whoosh!

With a hiss, the ice melted away.

And beneath it—

A silvery metallic luster.

The leader of the Northern Ice Dragon Legion was a Silver Dragon.

A dragon with an ice affinity that would have ruled the North had Arctic Sovereign not existed.

The Silver Dragon narrowed its sharp eyes at me.

A high-pitched, almost prickly voice, carried through Dragon Speech.

[You have my gratitude, human.]

Unlike the other frozen races, who were still confused even after being freed—

Dragons were different.

Even while frozen, they had maintained awareness and observed their surroundings.

[Since I owe you a debt, may I ask for one more favor? Give me the medicine that those humans took. I will return this debt.]

“Of course.”

For my sake as well, the dragons needed to recover.

I handed the Silver Dragon three bottles of the Golden Ruler’s Staff Elixir.

A syringe wouldn’t work on dragon scales, so I gave it in liquid form.

The Silver Dragon bit into the bottles, chugging them down, then closed its eyes.

I could visibly see its mana activating and its presence intensifying.

I proceeded to distribute the elixir to the other dragons.

A Blue Dragon that commanded thunder.

A White Dragon that ruled over wind.

A Sea Dragon that governed the ocean.

Each of them was Level 7.

And finally…

The Red Dragon.

The dim-witted, magic-incompetent, yet physically overwhelming outlier among them.

Why was a fire-attribute dragon stuck in the Northern Ice?

There was a backstory, but at this point, it wasn’t relevant.

That would only matter in Episode 4: The Arrival of the Evil Dragon.

For now, I just needed it as a mount.

Fwoosh!

Flames ignited.

Fire engulfed the Red Dragon.

Its frozen eyes rolled, its body twitching.

Then, as the ice shattered and fell away—

It opened its mouth wide.

[KRUAARRRGH!]

A roar filled with raw emotion.

[HUNGRY!]

Then, it lunged at me with its jaws wide open.

The hell?

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

[Holy Knight] [Thunderbolt] [Ambush]

Did you think you could just bite me and make me your snack?

Not a chance.

It was full of openings.

I didn’t even need to think.

I brushed my hand over my weapon case and pulled out Mjolnir.

With perfect precision, I slammed it into the Red Dragon’s lower jaw, targeting its exposed weakness.

CRACK!

A satisfying impact.

Its mouth slammed shut—and half of its tongue got severed.

[KWEEEHHHH?!]

The Red Dragon screamed, writhing in agony.

I rushed forward.

Every exposed weak point—

I smashed with Mjolnir.

Each strike triggered thunderclaps, sending blood splattering through the air.

Even restraining myself, my attacks were brutal.

Because of the Ambush trait, every hit landed as a critical strike, multiplying the damage.

In the end, the Red Dragon’s eyes welled with tears.

[Kiiiiing… Mommy… It hurts…]

You’re not young, though?

In fact, you’re ancient.

But… yeah.

This dragon had dementia.

Even though it had once been powerful enough to challenge a Dragon King.

The Silver Dragon stepped between us, wearing an awkward expression.

[Human. I apologize. I will take responsibility for its mistake. Let’s move past this. Fighting among ourselves would be pointless. The Avatar of Destruction will awaken soon.]

“[Fine.]”

I had no intention of killing the Red Dragon anyway.

It was going to be my personal mount.

Why would I destroy my own ride?

If anything, I needed to pamper and cherish it.

I returned Mjolnir to my weapon case.

Instead, I pulled out meat from my golf bag.

Beef I had bought in bulk from São Paulo.

I had plenty stored in my hangar, but only a limited amount fit in my golf bag.

Since most of the space had been taken up by the dragon meat bait.

It was dozens of kilograms, but for a Red Dragon—nowhere near enough.

“[Here!]”

I tossed the beef.

It was about the size of my forearm.

The Silver Dragon gave me a questioning look, while the Red Dragon chomped down without hesitation.

[Mmm! Tasty!]

“[You like it? There’s more if you behave.]”

Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.

The Red Dragon devoured everything I handed it.

At this point, it felt less like a dragon and more like a giant dog.

In no time, my golf bag’s meat supply was completely depleted.

The now docile Red Dragon nudged me with its head.

[More! Moreee!]

“[I’ll give you more—if you let me ride you.]”

[If I let you ride me?]

“[Yeah. You hate that bastard, right?]”

I pointed at the still sleeping Arctic Sovereign.

The Red Dragon’s eyes burned with hatred.

[I’LL KILL THAT BASTARD!]

It had been trapped for years.

Before that, it had been beaten to a pulp.

And on top of that—fire and ice were natural enemies.

Holding a grudge was inevitable.

“[If you let me ride you, I’ll help you completely obliterate it.]”

[Really?]

“[And I’ll give you even more meat. A hundred times what you just ate. How about that?]”

Gulp.

The Red Dragon swallowed hard.

It didn’t even have a visible throat, yet its entire neck convulsed.

Apparently, meat was even more tempting than beating Arctic Sovereign to a pulp.

[Alright! I’ll let you ride me! Where do you wanna sit?]

“[I’ll handle that myself.]”

I launched myself upward with all my strength.

I landed on the Red Dragon’s back, precisely where a saddle should’ve been installed.

I dropped to one knee, gripping the Black Tiger Sword in my right hand, while my left spread open, pressing against the Red Dragon’s scales.

[Dragon Speech] [Mount] [Control]

[Driving] [Unity]

Only one trait remained.

If I could just acquire Bond…

[What are you doing?]

The Red Dragon turned to look at me.

Our eyes met.

The position I had taken, the fact that I was on its back, and most importantly—

The fact that, despite being a dragon, it had let me mount it so easily.

All of these conditions aligned perfectly.

I could read its thoughts.

I knew exactly what it was thinking.

[Hungry.]

That was all.

Just hunger.

Everything else was gone—no lingering hostility toward Arctic Sovereign, no suspicion toward me.

It could talk and think, but at its core, it was no different from a beast.

Its thoughts were raw and unfiltered, laid bare for me to see.

And the Red Dragon realized it too.

[Uh… What… is this?]

It must have been too complicated for its simple mind to process.

My thoughts—

The life of an otherworlder, a foreigner in a strange land.

If it had been in its prime, it wouldn’t have even needed 0.01 seconds to understand.

But now?

I simply smiled.

“[From now on, your name is Red.]”

[Red?]

“[Yeah. And I’ll give you lots of meat.]”

[Meat! Good!]

The Red Dragon—now Red—flapped its wings in excitement.

The Silver Dragon, who had been watching, grimaced.

[Th-The dignity of our kin… Our elder…]

“[Let’s focus on dealing with Arctic Sovereign first.]”

What could they do?

The rice had already been cooked—there was no turning back.

And to confirm it, my trait window displayed a glowing new trait.

[Bond]

With this trait—

Did you think this was the end?

I immediately combined traits.

Dragon Speech and Bond as the foundation.

Mount, which enhanced the rider.

Driving, which enhanced the mount.

Control, which refined the connection.

And Unity, which fully synchronized the rider and mount.

All merged to create a new trait—

[Dragon Knight]

The ultimate mount-related trait.

I felt my nervous system expand.

Mana circuits stretched outward, reaching into the air itself.

Invisible arms extended—

A communication network formed between me and Red.

It was an unfamiliar yet exhilarating sensation.

I wasn’t just seeing through my own eyes—

I was seeing through Red’s eyes as well.

“KIIIIIIIIII—!”

That was when Arctic Sovereign awoke.

It shook its head violently, then locked its gaze on us.

And then—

Its eyes burned with rage.

–TL Notes–

Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!

If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at /InsanityTheGame

Join my Discord! .gg/BWaP3AHHpt