Trait Hoarder

In Search of Legends — Part 1

There was something I needed to prepare first.

I sat alone in the training room and opened the safe.

From inside, I took out a heap of Diamonds.

The Diamonds had been nearly depleted after inheriting the Nephilim Sword.

Now, they were replenished in abundance.

That was thanks to looting the treasure vault of the Dark Jaguar Cult and the reward I received from Seong Huiyeong.

‘This should be more than enough, even after using it for the Kalaratri inheritance.’

I took out only what was necessary and let out a short breath.

Then, from the Armory and the golf bag, I retrieved two rings and a necklace.

[Ring of Blink]

[Ring of Acceleration]

[Necklace of Dragon’s Word]

It was time to use the Diamonds.

First, I took Blink as my trait.

Should I give it a try?

I equipped Blink and focused my mind.

My consciousness blurred, and the world rippled as if being pushed away.

In an instant, I moved from one end of the training room to the other.

Aside from the cooldown time, it was an absurdly overpowered trait.

But there was a drawback.

‘If I use it carelessly, it could be dangerous.’

Even for a brief moment, my mind became hazy.

Against an opponent who didn’t suffer from rigidity, like the Nephilim of the Great Labyrinth, using it would be difficult.

The Massacre Empress, or even that old man—if I used Blink against them, my head would be cut off instantly.

Well, it didn’t matter.

I hadn’t taken Blink just to use it as it was.

I grabbed the Ring of Acceleration.

Without hesitation, I used the Diamonds to acquire the trait.

I hadn’t deliberately obtained Acceleration through Grand Assault, but it served as a material for several high-tier traits, including Rampaging Train.

‘Blink, Acceleration, Mana Soul, Lightning, Incorporeal Form, and Psychic Power.’

Incorporeal Form could be acquired from the Dokkaebis.

Dasan really was a lifesaver.

A cure for the zombie plague, the ultimate trait for gunslingers, and even Incorporeal Form—it all came from that guy.

Finally, I picked up the Necklace of Dragon’s Word.

There were still two traits left from Thunder Slash, but the trait I was aiming to create already had all its materials.

All that remained was securing Dragon’s Word.

Narrowing my eyes, I pushed in the Diamonds.

As expected, Dragon’s Word was Dragon’s Word.

Compared to Acceleration and Blink, it was a far more advanced trait.

It consumed nearly three times as many Diamonds.

Shuuuung!

At last, the trait replication succeeded.

A new mana circuit was engraved, and my entire body burned.

“Ah… Aaaah.”

My throat itched.

It felt like a lump was forming on my vocal cords.

After struggling for a while and vomiting blood, the new trait finally settled.

“Gael-rua dre-nezque svara-ge tufuha—” (TL Note: FUS-RO-DAH!)

As soon as I opened my mouth, Dragon’s Words naturally flowed out.

The rhythm and pitch blended together, making it sound like a song.

But the core wasn’t the sound itself.

It was the mana wavelength resonating from my vocal cords.

The mana wavelength, rhythm, tone, and syllables combined to impose my will upon my opponent—and even upon the world itself.

That was Dragon’s Word.

“Damn, my throat hurts.”

Since it was my first time speaking it, it felt awkward.

Grumbling, I swapped out the traits.

[Dragon’s Word] [Taunt] [Shout]

[Roar] [Battle Cry] [Deep Breath]

After preparing a high-grade healing potion and sacred water, I began merging the traits.

Mana circuits intertwined and overlaid.

The intense pain felt like my throat was being torn apart.

I had expected it, but the agony was nearly unbearable.

Gripping my throat, I vomited blood until it filled a basin.

“Uweeegh!”

I had long since trained myself to endure pain, so I managed to get through it.

A normal person would have thrashed in agony, fainted, been rushed to the emergency room, and only woken up three days later.

After drinking the healing potion and sacred water, I equipped traits like Undying and Regeneration to heal myself.

“Thought I was gonna die.”

Time for a test.

In the corner of the training room stood a row of scarecrows.

They were dressed in self-repairing enchanted steel armor.

I stepped forward, cleared my throat, and fixed my gaze on them.

Tensing my abdomen, I let out a powerful shout.

“[Shatter]!”

Kwaaaang!

Trait [Dragon’s Roar]. (TL Note: Changed from Dragon’s Cry to Roar)

Just by shouting, a tremendous explosion erupted.

A shockwave burst forth from my mouth, crashing into the scarecrows.

The mana wavelength was so dense it became visible.

The power embedded in the wave crushed the scarecrows.

Not just their steel armor, but everything inside as well.

Thud! Crack!

The steel armor crumpled.

The scarecrows were completely destroyed.

As scraps of fabric, straw, and sawdust scattered through the air, I let out a small laugh.

If Dragon’s Roar was this strong, how powerful were full-fledged Dragon’s Word sorcerers?

They could just launch their incantations directly.

‘At this rate, I’m winning any singing contest.’

Whenever I met the Dokkaebis, I’d have to start with a wager.

Their hospitality and rewards depended on how many out of three matches I won.

That was why I was spending time here before setting off.

Gugugugung.

Was it the aftermath of Dragon’s Roar?

A faint tremor shook the entire mansion.

Even the ceiling quivered, dislodging dirt that sprinkled down.

I should probably avoid using this in the training room next time.

Wouldn’t want to accidentally bring the house down.

Feeling refreshed, I gathered my golf bag and Armory.

Thanks to the SSR-grade Armory, my load was much lighter.

I had already stored a shotgun, sniper rifle, and assault rifle inside.

Along with those, I kept an emergency Ring of Grand Escape and a bottle of elixir.

I wasn’t going to die easily.

‘Binoculars, detectors, magic chips…’

There was a lot to pack for this journey.

Meeting the Dokkaebis wasn’t the only objective.

According to my plan, I would also be making stops in Greece and the U.S.

Since I had to bring my disciples along, I needed to prepare various consumables.

While I could escape danger on my own, Baek Sorin, Janet, and Kali couldn’t.

‘Acceleration, Blink, Grand Escape. That should do.’

Just in case, I packed a few more essentials.

Everyday supplies.

Water detergent, a laundry bat, a magic vacuum cleaner, and so on.

Then, as I stepped outside, Seo Woojin approached, waiting for me.

“Teacher? What were you doing in there?”

Seo Woojin was already busy enough to need two bodies.

Redeveloping Guro Stronghold, upgrading the Sky Ship, personal training, and even sparring with me.

Still, I had told him to make time, and he followed my words without a single complaint.

“I had something to do. Why? Did you hear something?”

“I don’t know what it was, but I heard a massive sound. I thought my heart was going to stop.”

“I should reinforce the soundproofing.”

Not that soundproofing alone would work.

To block it properly, I’d need layers of magic circles for sound suppression, shock absorption, vibration dampening, and mana insulation.

The best option was simply not using it in the training room.

I smoothly climbed into the Red Cougar.

Beside me, Seo Woojin scratched the back of his head.

“I’m supposed to be driving.”

“It’s fine. This one’s owner-driven.”

The Red Cougar shot up into the sky.

With me handling the piloting, synchronization, and control all at once, the Red Cougar moved like a falcon in flight.

Seo Woojin would do well enough if he drove, but not as well as me.

It wasn’t just fast and agile—it was comfortable inside, too.

Thanks to the synchronization trait, even traits like [Mana Stabilization] and [Vigor] were transmitted.

Above the clouds.

I brought the Red Cougar to a hover and reached for the Armory.

One by one, a shotgun, a sniper rifle, and an assault rifle emerged.

I even took out the two pistols strapped to my waist and laid out the Dasan Gun Set in a neat row.

“Teacher, can you tell me where we’re going now?”

“We’re going to find the Dokkaebis.”

“Dokkaebis?”

“Yeah. You’ve read the family records, right?”

“I have. One of my ancestors once encountered a Dokkaebi.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes. He lost in a wrestling match and had a rough time… The Dokkaebi freeloaded off him for a whole year, eating up all his rice cakes. He barely managed to drive it away by hiring a high monk. But in the end, the Dokkaebi gave him enchanted gold coins before leaving, so he actually made a profit.”

A good-natured Dokkaebi.

Well, Korean Goblins were different from Japanese Demons, after all.

As I chatted with Seo Woojin, I switched my traits.

[Gunslinger] [Thor Cultivation Technique] [Mana Soul]

[Mana Core] [Mana Recovery] [Clarity]

I needed an immense amount of mana for what I was about to do.

So, aside from Gunslinger, I filled my trait slots with mana-related traits.

I infused mana into the Dasan Gun Set.

Back in the game, activating this with Warrior Kim had been an absolute pain.

I had to chug mana potions like water just to barely manage it.

Flash!

After a while, all five guns emitted a bright light.

They intertwined like vines before shooting out in a single direction.

A streak of light remained in their wake.

Unfortunately, it passed right through Seo Woojin, making him flinch.

“Whoa, that scared me!”

Southeast.

I nodded slightly.

The gateways to the Dokkaebi realm opened at five random locations.

Changdeokgung in Seoul.

Gyeongpo Lake in Gangneung.

Gwanbuk-ri Ruins in Gongju.

Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju.

Baengnokdam Crater Lake in Jeju.

If it was southeast, the choice was obvious.

Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju.

Once I got there and found the clue, a dimensional gate would open, leading to the Dokkaebi realm.

Swaaaash!

I turned the controls toward the southeast.

Thanks to the synchronization trait, the Red Cougar effortlessly broke the sound barrier.

I’d probably arrive in less than ten minutes.

Despite the speed, the interior remained perfectly smooth—no vibrations, no noise.

“Do you have something specific to do with the Dokkaebis?”

“Plenty. You should wrestle them a lot too.”

“Wrestling? I heard it’s really hard to win against them.”

“Never hook their right leg. Always go for the left. Even then, it won’t be easy.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

“You said you wanted to get stronger, right?”

“Yes.”

“This is the best prescription for you. Challenge every Dokkaebi you see to a wrestling match. Don’t wait to be challenged—take the initiative. After wrestling about a hundred of them and winning at least half, you’ll definitely get stronger.”

“I can get stronger just by wrestling?”

“In the Dokkaebi realm, you can.”

To be precise, it was an achievement system.

The requirement was having at least one trait that served as a material for One-Man Army.

Seo Woojin had [Onslaught], so he met the condition.

The real issue was whether he could maintain a win rate of over 50%…

But he should manage just fine.

He was already level 6 and had [Mana Core], after all.

Flash!

Before I knew it, we had arrived above Bulguksa Temple.

It was late at night.

I deployed the Sky Ship and stored the Red Cougar inside.

After retrieving it, I activated Stealth and quietly approached the Daeungjeon Hall.

Seo Woojin, having used the Stealth magic chip I’d given him, whispered softly.

“Teacher, do we really have to go this far?”

“Probably.”

That’s how it was in the game.

In all five locations, you had to sneak past patrolling staff to get inside.

I wasn’t sure if it worked the same way here, but I planned to follow the game’s method.

Who knew?

Maybe it applied here too.

“Yaaawn…”

On the way, I ran into a monk who had stepped outside for a smoke.

Wait, can monks smoke?

The faint blue mana glow in the cigarette smoke told me it probably wasn’t an ordinary cigarette.

Well, in this world, it wasn’t something worth making a fuss over.

I took a wide detour to avoid detection.

Fifteen minutes after arrival, I reached the Daeungjeon Hall.

Creeeak.

I used a security suppression magic chip, then a lockpicking magic chip to open the door and slip inside.

Bulguksa’s Daeungjeon was massive.

Three celestial golden Buddha statues radiated a profound magical aura.

A soft yet majestic mana wavelength.

It made me instinctively lower my head in humility.

‘The clue should be hidden in the statues.’

In the game, it was simple.

You had to interact with the statues, murals, donation box, or cushions in the hall.

A message would then appear, presenting a riddle.

After solving the riddle and placing the correct item into the donation box, the conditions would be met.

Then, by channeling mana into the Dasan Gun Set once more, the dimensional gate would open.

But rummaging through a temple didn’t sit right with me.

I wasn’t some JRPG protagonist, after all.

Instead of risking triggering security measures, I decided to switch my traits and observe the interior of the Daeungjeon Hall.

[Bright Eyes] [Sixth Sense] [Keen Eyes]

[Insight] [X-Ray Vision] [Detection]

“Huh?”

“What is it, Teacher?”

An unexpected clue caught my eye.

At the very center of the hall stood the golden celestial Buddha statue of Sakyamuni.

Right on its chest, a mana circuit was embedded—clear as day.

And it was a design I had seen before.

“Wow… This is insane.”

“Teacher?”

“Sigh. These damn Dokkaebis… I swear, they never change. They’ve gone and pulled a prank on this Buddha statue.”

“What? What kind of prank?”

“I need to destroy the statue—with a gun.”

“Wait, what? That can’t be right…”

It was a trait-triggered mechanism.

More specifically, it required the destruction attribute from a shotgun.

After confirming that, I scanned the room even more carefully.

Just as I suspected.

Two cushions had a Stasis spell.

The corner of the mural contained a Shock trap.

Inside the donation box, the wall held a Phantom Bullet spell.

And the candlestick concealed a Death mana circuit.

All of them were the exact same size.

The implication was obvious.

I had to hit all of them at the same time.

Which meant using all five guns at once—while equipping the Gunslinger trait.

‘How the hell am I going to deal with the aftermath of this?’

Dokkaebis were mischievous by nature.

They always gave rewards in their own way, but that didn’t mean things wouldn’t get messy.

If everything went smoothly, I might not get caught, but if I made even a single mistake…

To be safe, I took out a few gold bars from my golf bag and placed them into the donation box.

“My apologies.”

“Teacher… You’re really going to shoot?”

“I have to. If we want to meet the Dokkaebis.”

I reached for the Armory.

The twin pistols at my waist clinked softly.

[Gunslinger] [Shooting] [Aim]

[Rapid Fire] [Sixth Sense] [Focus]

I took a deep breath.

And fired.

Three guns drawn from the Armory.

Two pistols summoned in a flash.

Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Five simultaneous gunshots.

Each shot hit its mark perfectly.

The Buddha statue’s chest exploded.

The cushions twitched before locking in place.

The mural tore apart completely.

The donation box absorbed the Phantom Bullet without a trace.

The preservation magic on the candlestick flickered and vanished.

I saw it all with my own eyes.

WEEEOOOOONG!

The security suppression magic wasn’t enough.

An alarm blared throughout the once-silent Bulguksa Temple grounds.

“Uh, Teacher?”

Footsteps echoed outside.

Hurried, urgent steps.

I didn’t even need my enhanced vision to check.

The monks and security personnel were definitely rushing over.

Thankfully, before they could reach the door…

Before they could open the Daeungjeon Hall…

Flaaash!

A bright blue dimensional gate rippled into existence.

Right in the shattered chest of the Buddha statue.

“Let’s go!”

I leaped in without hesitation.

Seo Woojin followed right behind me, and the moment we passed through, the portal snapped shut.

A new world unfolded before us.

It was an entirely different realm.

Above, sheep-shaped clouds roamed the sky, bleating softly.

The ground was covered in a soft, furry texture, making each step feel like walking on a plush carpet.

In the distance, mountains looked like ink-washed strokes from a traditional painting.

The wind itself took shape, forming tiny fairies that danced briefly before dissipating.

“Oh-ho.”

And standing before us was a man.

He wore a brown cowboy hat.

A cigar dangled from his lips, puffing out rings of smoke.

A single revolver rested at his hip, making him look like an outlaw straight out of the Wild West.

With one exception—

He was dressed in a dusty, white hanbok robe.

“Kim West, you finally showed up?” (TL Note: This is a bit complex. He calls him “김 서방”, which means Kim Seobang. Seobang means West. If in the US you used to refer to random people as John, in Korea it’s Kim. Basically, you can read it as Random Person from the West, in reference to the Wild West)

Despite his peculiar appearance, he was unmistakably a native Korean mythical being.

A Dokkaebi.

–TL Notes–

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