Trait Hoarder

Olympus – Part 2

“[Flutter, butterfly, come fly to me♪]”

Everything was the same.

The pitch, the rhythm—nothing had changed.

Except for one thing.

I sang using Dragon’s Roar.

Grrrrumble.

The world trembled.

Somewhere, glowing butterflies appeared and began to flutter toward me.

“[Yellow butterfly, white butterfly, come and dance with me♪]”

The butterflies multiplied.

Yellow ones. White ones.

And not just butterflies.

Flowers bloomed in response to the song.

Even their petals swayed gently as if smiling.

Luminous sparrows emerged, chirping along as they twirled around me.

This was Dragon’s Roar.

A primordial power akin to a divine command, capable of interfering with the world itself.

This level of effect was impossible in the mortal realm.

I wasn’t a Dragon Shaman.

But here, in Olympus—the realm of the gods—such resonance was possible.

“Hahaha.”

Orpheus’s stern expression melted into a grin.

“If you had that kind of ability, why didn’t you say so?”

“I’m not much of a singer. I needed your help to make this possible, Master Orpheus.”

“Then you should’ve just said so. Hahaha. You pass. But could you sing a few more? Hearing a song in Dragon’s Roar is a rare treat. Dragons rarely sing, you know. Tsk, Radon and the others—they only care about hoarding gold, not about art.” ℝÁ₦öᛒĚŠ

That would be enough.

Technically, I had already completed the second task.

However, instead of immediately continuing, I swapped my traits.

[Dragon’s Roar] [Mana Soul] [Thor Cultivation Technique]

[Mana Recovery] [Mana Absorption] [Deep Breath]

Instead of Dragon’s Roar, I equipped Dragon’s Roar.

I turned to the priest standing beside me and the pilgrims watching from a distance.

“It would be best if you all stepped back. Or at least covered your ears.”

“Sir Paladin? What do you mean?”

“I won’t be using Dragon’s Roar. I’ll be using Dragon’s Roar.”

“…What?”

“Huh?”

“What nonsense is that…?”

The only one who noticed my trait swap was Orpheus.

He narrowed his eyes at me before nodding.

“You all should step outside.”

“Excuse me? Why?”

“Pilgrims—no, Dragonslayer—it’s best to heed his warning. Dragonslayers often acquire strange powers after slaying a dragon. He seems to be the same. I won’t force you, but I say this for your own good.”

The priest bowed his head and left the clearing.

The area had a soundproofing barrier, so he should be fine.

The stubborn pilgrims, however, remained.

They didn’t even bother covering their ears.

Whatever happened next was on them.

I took in a deep breath with all my might.

[Three bears in one house♩!]

Kwaaaaaroooom!

A single syllable exploded like a thunderclap.

What I had sung was clearly a five-word, ten-syllable phrase.

Yet, it erupted all at once.

As if compressed into a single word.

And it wasn’t just the first line.

The entire song—forty-eight characters in total—collapsed into a singular burst and slammed into reality.

Boom! Boom!

Three bears leaped into existence.

A big bear, a slim bear, a little bear—

They danced around me before scattering apart.

A streak of lightning followed.

The excessive concentration of mana warped space, causing it to twist and rupture repeatedly.

“Gahk!”

“Cough!”

“Ugh! Aaargh!”

The stubborn pilgrims who had remained—

All of them collapsed at once.

Coughing up blood, convulsing violently.

Orpheus clicked his tongue and strummed his lyre.

“Foolish lot. I told them to move.”

The sound of healing music washed over the fallen pilgrims, allowing them to barely regain their composure.

Their faces were filled with shock and fear.

I cleared my throat with a cough.

“Shall I continue?”

“Of course! Sing a few more!”

The remaining pilgrims quickly fled.

I stood before Orpheus and sang every song I knew.

Idol songs, military songs, the national anthem—even children’s songs.

But my repertoire ran dry fast.

It wasn’t like I frequented karaoke or listened to music regularly.

I barely knew any songs.

“No more? I doubt anyone else could sing Dragon’s Roar like you.”

“I don’t know any more songs.”

“Tsk… Seriously? You lived for over twenty years without listening to music? That’s a complete waste of life. You know that?”

Orpheus laughed, joking lightheartedly.

At first, he had been furious, but after hearing a few songs in Dragon’s Roar, he had grown fond of me.

After some thought, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a snack.

“Want a bite?”

A baked treat that looked somewhere between bread and a cookie.

Ambrosia.

The same thing I had devoured in Asgard when I met Thor.

I firmly declined.

“My apologies.”

“Tsk. Oh well. If you ever ascend to godhood, visit me. Once you acquire even the smallest bit of divinity, you’ll no longer be bound by the rules of Underworld Olympus. We can explore Dragon’s Roar music together. By then, I’ll have developed instruments and compositions suited for it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

With that, the second task was complete.

Perhaps because I had unleashed Dragon’s Roar in succession, I felt hollow inside.

Equipping some recovery traits, I stepped out of the clearing.

The priest, who had been waiting outside, immediately approached.

“Truly incredible! I’ve never seen Master Orpheus this pleased before!”

“He’s a good man.”

He gave me a trait, so of course, he’s a good guy.

“Master Orpheus is strict about music, but when he encounters someone truly exceptional, he becomes remarkably generous. I’ve never seen him share his snacks before.”

“Glad my effort was worth it.”

“Dragonslayer, are you planning to take on the third task as well?”

“Of course.”

“Hmm… To be honest, I’d advise against it.”

The third task took place in a field of flowers.

The Underworld Flowers.

Pale blue, each one producing mana to sustain Olympus.

If the Underworld Flowers withered, Olympus would lose its spatial stability and come crashing down.

The priest gestured toward the flowers.

“The third task is to transform an Underworld Flower into a Celestial Flame Flower. Before the Gigantomachy, the Sun Who Set in the West was the one who performed this task. Since then, no one has succeeded. No hero, no god. Even Lady Persephone has been researching it for thousands of years… but it seems impossible.”

“This must be completed to be invited as a guest, correct?”

“Yes. Otherwise, you can exchange contribution points. You’ve accumulated quite a bit, so that should be an option. Alternatively, you could offer a part of the dragon’s corpse as tribute.”

Not happening.

I don’t know when I might need it, so why waste it?

I’ll just succeed instead.

The Celestial Flame Flower.

A celestial flower (花) and fire (火).

I’ve mentioned it before.

It’s one of the key materials for Supreme Flame.

It’s much easier to obtain it here.

It’s also available in Amaterasu’s Takamagahara, but getting access to that place is a pain.

Step, step.

I walked toward the flower field.

Normally, blooming a Celestial Flame Flower is incredibly difficult.

It requires completing a chain of quests across different regions.

Gathering Underworld Fertilizer, storing sunlight, summoning the winds of heaven, sprinkling the rain of purity…

And on top of that, raising and deploying sentinels.

But there’s always a shortcut.

[Black Flame] [Divine Power] [Dragon’s Roar]

[Mana Soul] [Deep Breath] [Mana Absorption]

I unleashed Black Flame.

Dark flames spread in twisting streams.

It looked as if I were trying to burn an Underworld Flower to ashes.

“Ah, that won’t work.”

The priest chimed in.

“We once invited the master of Black Flame here centuries ago. Even with immense mana, he failed to bloom a Celestial Flame Flower. It’s recorded in our order’s history books.”

Of course.

He used mana.

You need Divine Power to evolve an Underworld Flower into a Celestial Flame Flower.

How many people wielding Black Flame also possess Divine Power?

Black Flame is only acquired by overcoming the divine punishment of the Old Father.

I ignored him and focused.

While Black Flame burned, I steadied my voice.

Softly, like a song, I whispered to the Underworld Flower.

“[Become a Celestial Flame Flower♪ Become a Celestial Flame Flower♪]”

I didn’t even need Dragon’s Roar.

Just speaking was enough.

Dragon’s Roar alters the laws of the world.

As proof, the Underworld Flower before me began to twist and shift.

“The flower…”

The priest let out a strangled gasp.

Its petals withered and fell.

Its stem thinned.

Only the blue core of the flower remained.

But it was unstable.

The burning Black Flame spread like petals, threatening to become a new Underworld Flower.

It was about to fail—just as it always had.

The priest’s eyes filled with disappointment.

I reached into my golf bag and pulled out a vial of the highest-grade holy water I had been saving.

This is why the rain of purity is necessary.

Even Black Flame infused with Divine Power couldn’t completely purge the darkness of the Underworld Flower.

Drip.

I poured it generously.

A treasure worth billions, something money alone couldn’t buy.

One bottle. Two bottles. Three bottles.

More than half of the holy water I had received from the High Pontiff of the Thor Order.

At last, the Underworld Flower radiated a brilliant light.

It was evolving.

Thirty minutes after I first unleashed Black Flame.

“T-this easily?”

The priest collapsed in shock.

Of course, it’s easy—if you already know the answer.

Columbus’s egg, as they say.

A combination of Divine Power and Black Flame is extremely rare.

And someone with both Dragon’s Roar and a command-based ability? That simply didn’t exist.

On top of that, who would be willing to waste high-grade holy water like this?

Zero. Absolutely zero.

There was a reason Olympus had failed to bloom a Celestial Flame Flower for thousands of years.

Fwoooosh!

At last, the Celestial Flame Flower bloomed.

A radiance of absolute purity.

Or was it fire?

A breathtakingly white, untainted flower beamed brightly.

And it wasn’t just one.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

The surrounding Underworld Flowers, influenced by the Celestial Flame Flower, began evolving as well.

From pale blue to a dazzling white.

From mere flowers to flames of pure light.

Before I knew it, the Celestial Flame Flower I had bloomed had withered.

It had sacrificed itself to help the others blossom.

Silently, I picked up the wilted flower.

As it evaporated, it merged into my mana circuits.

Acquired the trait: [Celestial Flame].

Weaker in raw attack power than Black Flame, but imbued with healing and purification properties—

And far deadlier to evil beings.

“Haha… Hahaha…”

The priest let out a hollow laugh from where he sat.

“This easily… this easily…?”

“Everything’s simple once you know how.”

“How… how did you know?”

“It just came to me. I figured, ‘Oh, I just need to nurture it with Black Flame.’ Same as the golden apples.”

“Ah, but we don’t have time to waste!”

The priest snapped out of his daze and clapped his hands together.

Hearing the sound, baby angels folded space and appeared.

“Kids! Preserve the flames properly! Don’t let them go out this time!”

“We won’t let them go out!”

“We will let them go out!”

“Pretty fire!”

“Fire!”

The priest gave them an exasperated look.

It was understandable.

The baby angels had already let the Celestial Flame Flowers die once before.

After all, these weren’t naturally cultivated in Olympus.

They had originally been obtained from Amaterasu in exchange for a massive quantity of golden apples.

In hindsight, it wasn’t surprising.

This was Underworld Olympus.

The land of the gods, rebuilt after the Gigantomachy.

Gaia was the chief deity, Persephone her second-in-command, with Radon and Eurydice as the lesser gods.

A realm deeply tied to the earth, the underworld, and the afterlife.

Of course, if they had taken Celestial Flame Flowers raised by a sun god, they would have withered immediately.

Only Black Flame would do.

A combination of divine, dark, and fire attributes.

“Human! Take this! It’s your invitation!”

“Your invitation!”

Another group of baby angels came fluttering toward me.

A slightly larger one danced through the air, holding a golden letter.

An invitation.

As soon as it landed in my hand, it dissolved into light and wrapped around my arm like a tattoo.

“Congratulations, Dragonslayer. For the first time since Olympus was rebuilt, you have been formally invited to the Banquet of the Gods.”

“Thank you.”

“This achievement will be recorded in the history of our order for eternity. To think you actually completed all three tasks of Olympus… Before long, Underworld Olympus may truly become Celestial Olympus. Perhaps even a new divinity will be born.”

“A new divinity? Do you have a candidate in mind?”

Orpheus, maybe?

But there was already a goddess of music.

Even if a new deity emerged, it would likely be a god of light or fire.

Curious, I looked at the priest.

Our eyes met.

His gaze lingered.

A silent stare filled with words left unspoken.

‘Wait, me?’

It wasn’t impossible.

Greek mythology had many cases of human heroes ascending to godhood.

Even Thor had suggested making me his archangel and warlord.

Granted, that would only happen after I reached Level 9 and died.

Booooooong… Boooooong… Booooooong…

A temple bell tolled in the distance.

The sun was setting.

A warm darkness descended over Olympus like a curtain.

“Oh dear. It’s night already. The banquet is about to begin.”

“Already?”

“Yes. Night has fallen earlier than usual. Hurry along. You must enter before the gods arrive.”

Fortunately, the Grand Palace wasn’t far from the Underworld Flower field.

Quickening my pace, I reached it in no time.

As soon as I stepped inside, baby angels gleefully blew golden trumpets.

“A guest has arrived!”

“A guest has arrived!”

“The plunderer of the Golden Fleece! The slayer of the Golden Dragon has entered!”

“He has entered!”

“The gardener of the Golden Apples! The creator of the Dragon’s Roar song! The cultivator of Celestial Flame Flowers has arrived!”

“He has arrived!”

They sure were generous with their nicknames.

The banquet hall was magnificent.

A classic Greek temple design.

At the grand marble table, nectar and ambrosia overflowed.

Beautiful nymphs plucked golden instruments near the pillars.

And then there were the pilgrims.

The servant pilgrims held large fans, while the attendant pilgrims stood with their backs hunched in subservience.

Their envious stares didn’t bother me.

Instead, I looked up at the ceiling.

It should have been covered in Underworld Flowers.

But now, Celestial Flame Flowers had taken their place.

No wonder it looked so different from how it did in the game.

In the game, this place had a slightly dark and somber atmosphere.

Now, it was bright and radiant—reminiscent of Olympus before the Gigantomachy.

“This is impressive.”

I had no idea how long I’d been sitting at the table when—

Without a single sound, a man appeared.

The baby angels started to say something, but with a flick of his fingers, he dismissed them.

A man clad in ancient Roman armor with a red-plumed helmet.

A bold expression, piercing eyes.

He smirked as he looked at the Celestial Flame Flowers.

“Celestial Flame Flowers, huh? It’s been a long time.”

I knew who he was.

He wasn’t a major figure in Arcane Seoul, but he had his own illustration and voice lines.

I stood up and greeted him respectfully.

“Greetings.”

“You know me?”

“Yes. You are the Herald of Victory.”

The Herald of Victory.

In other words, Mars.

The old Roman god of war and protector of Italy.

And the original master of Mars Swordsmanship.

“Heh. Not bad. I like you. Alright, let’s do this.”

Mars grinned.

Then, he dropped a bombshell.

“You, become my apostle.”

–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 patreon.com/InsanityTheGame

Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!