Trait Hoarder

Olympus – Part 3

What kind of nonsense was this out of nowhere?

I decided to play it safe.

“It’s an honor, but it’s quite sudden. I need time to think.”

“Think?”

Mars sneered openly.

“A mere human dares hesitate over my offer?”

His gaze locked onto me.

Sharp as an eagle’s, his eyes scanned me thoroughly.

It wasn’t just my body—his piercing stare felt as though it could see into my very soul, tracing my mana circuits, uncovering even the powers I had yet to reveal.

“You’re already practically my apostle. You wield my power.”

“That’s…”

“Heh. I never thought I’d see my gladiatorial technique here. Or the Celestial Flame Flower, for that matter.”

Mars smirked.

“I’m in a good mood. If you accept my apostleship, I’ll grant you Ares’ Law.”

“What?”

“You don’t know? Tsk. Back when the Roman Empire was at its height, countless warriors threw their lives away just for a chance to glimpse a fragment of my law. Listen well. The Mars Swordsmanship you’ve learned—it’s nothing but a tiny piece of Ares’ Law. Ares’ Law is the origin and ultimate form of all martial arts. No combat technique in existence can compare.”

I knew.

I had heard of Ares’ Law.

It was one of the highly anticipated updates before I ended up in this world.

[Episode 10: The Great Cataclysm].

Several new traits were teased in the preview.

Ares’ Law was one of the most prominent.

It was said to be obtained by combining four of the highest-tier traits under Weapon Mastery, Sword Master, and their equivalents, then using Mars’ Heart.

A trait that was simultaneously an offensive technique, a defensive stance, a movement skill, and a mana cultivation method.

Essentially, the developers had hyped it up as a transcendental trait on par with Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

‘Ares’ Law? He’s really offering it to me?’

Thump!

My heart pounded.

My palms grew damp.

If I had Ares’ Law, I wouldn’t even need to rely on the Three Great Sword Arts!

I could become stronger than simply swapping between the three in real-time!

Strong enough to defeat the Heavenly Demon.

To go head-to-head with him and win.

“Hoohoho.”

Just as I was about to give in—

A soft, tinkling laugh rang through the air.

The sound of light footsteps followed.

At some point, a woman had appeared.

Her complexion was pale, her lips tinged with an eerie blue.

A black veil draped over her body, exuding a melancholic aura.

Persephone.

Queen of the Underworld.

Now the Goddess of Death.

“Mars, you finally show up at a banquet after centuries, and this is what you do? Seducing a mortal man?”

Persephone chuckled.

“Ares’ Law, you say? Quite the wager. Your divinity is already fractured beyond repair, making it difficult for you to grant even your gladiatorial techniques or defensive arts. To bestow the ultimate martial art, the secret of war itself, you would have to offer up your heart. Are you truly prepared to give your heart to a human?”

Her words snapped me back to my senses.

Now that I thought about it, she was right.

Ares’ Law required Mars’ Heart—that was what the developers had said.

Of course, if this were a pay-to-win system, I could’ve skipped that step, but where the hell was I supposed to find loot boxes in this world?

I had almost been scammed.

My heart, which had been hammering wildly, slowly returned to normal.

Mars clicked his tongue and turned to glare at Persephone.

“You’ve grown bold, little sister. Back when Olympus was still standing strong, you wouldn’t have even dared to speak to me. Do you want to fight?”

“Hoho, why not? You’re no longer Ares. You’re just Mars. A fallen god from a fallen empire.”

Persephone clasped her hands together.

The Celestial Flame Flowers on the ceiling flared brightly.

Space warped, the very laws of Olympus shifting to push Mars out.

His form flickered, his very presence being forcibly ejected from the banquet hall.

Mars roared.

“You bitch who isn’t even worthy of the Golden Throne!”

“Hmph. The Golden Throne? That’s ancient history. Go back to Rome. Visit a museum, admire the relics of your fallen empire, and entertain yourself as you always have.”

“You’ll regret this, you wench!”

Mars disintegrated into rippling waves and vanished.

That was the difference between a fallen god and the Vice-Deity of the Seven Great Orders.

As I stood there, caught in the middle, a voice suddenly echoed in my mind.

[Listen well, Dragonslayer. If you become my apostle and complete the Twelve Labors, I will share my divinity and grant you Ares’ Law. You will ascend as a God of Martial Arts in the reborn Celestial Olympus—not this false Underworld Olympus you see now. Consider what benefits you the most.]

…So he wasn’t going to just give it to me outright?

I had to complete twelve labors first?

Yeah, no. That was a hard pass.

I wasn’t about to sign a contract without even knowing what kind of tasks he’d assign.

Sticking to my Three Great Sword Arts build was a better move.

I already had Mars Swordsmanship and Nephilim Sword in my hands, and Kalaratri would be mine soon enough.

“Hmph. That fool’s head is full of nothing but battles.”

Persephone sent a look of utter disdain toward the spot where Mars had vanished.

Then, she turned to me.

“I assume Mars left you with a parting message? Let me give you some advice—do not get involved with him. The old gods of Olympus never make fair trades. They toy with mortals, mock them, and twist their fates. You’re well aware of what the Throne of Heaven did to mankind, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I am.”

“Same goes for him. A god of war? Ha. He’s more like a god of slaughter and murder. Don’t bother speaking with him.”

Persephone clearly had a lot of resentment built up.

Though, wasn’t she supposed to be on good terms with Hades?

Since she wasn’t a major figure in the game, I didn’t have much to go on.

“The Dragon God of Life, Lord Radon, has arrived!”

“He has arrived!”

“The Goddess of Music, Lady Eurydice, has arrived!”

“She has arrived!”

“The Heaviest Mother takes her seat!”

“She takes her seat!”

The gods took their places.

Radon, in human form, was instantly recognizable.

A bald head covered in tattoos, with ninety-nine snake heads—definitely an unforgettable sight.

Eurydice looked more ordinary than I expected.

But Gaia was overwhelming.

The moment she appeared, she radiated a soft, white light that filled the room.

Her mere presence made it impossible to look directly at her.

Even at a banquet meant to allow mortals to face gods, her divinity was too much.

She was similar to Thor in that way.

If I tried to fully perceive her form, both my body and soul would likely perish on the spot.

“A most welcome guest.”

I felt Gaia’s gaze upon me.

I could see Persephone clearly, as she was a vice-deity of Olympus.

But Gaia was different.

She appeared only as a massive sphere of light, as if her voice itself was manifesting into being.

I stood and bowed respectfully.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am Warrior Kim.”

“Yes, yes, child. I have watched over you for some time. When that poor child was tempered and shaped into human form, even I was astonished. No matter how much aid was borrowed from myself, the northern sky’s thunder, and the eastern young tree—what a miracle you turned out to be! I wished to meet you at least once, and at last, that wish has come true.”

“I apologize for not coming sooner.”

“There is no need, child. Your fate is interwoven with the world itself. Arriving today is already arriving swiftly. Now, now, take a seat. Sit. My children have prepared delightful sweets and drinks. Let us talk as we dine.”

Now that she mentioned it, I was the only one still standing.

But that was inevitable.

The marble table where Gaia sat—

Aside from the seats for the gods, there was only one other seat.

A single chair, prepared for the banquet’s sole guest.

It was a bit overwhelming.

Especially with Radon glaring at me from across the table.

What was his problem?

The reason became obvious.

I had killed the Golden Dragon.

Radon was a dragon-turned-god.

A dragonslayer sitting in front of him? Yeah, no wonder he wasn’t thrilled.

“Come, eat. You all as well. The golden apples harvested today are especially sweet and delicious. Radon has done a fine job tending to them.”

“You flatter me, Heaviest Mother.”

“Just call me Mother, will you?”

“How could I possibly be so disrespectful to the Heaviest Mother?”

Thankfully, Gaia’s conversation distracted Radon, and his glare lessened.

“The flowers are beautiful today, and the music is delightful. It reminds me of the old days. Dragon’s Roar songs and Celestial Flame Flowers… I am truly indulging in luxury in my twilight years.”

“It was the guest who did it, Mother.”

“Yes, yes, I know. That is why I said before—leave him be. Do not interfere unnecessarily. Our [Outworlder] child will manage just fine.”

Was this Gaia’s way of protecting me?

The word “Outworlder” had a strange resonance.

Though the banquet hall automatically translated speech, ensuring all languages were understood, that one word remained distinct—unheard by any pilgrims, only the gods.

After speaking with the other gods for a while, Gaia turned her focus back to me.

She was still just a sphere of light in my vision, but I could feel her gaze settle upon me.

“Child, I heard that Mars offered you apostleship.”

“Yes. It was a sudden proposal, so I’m still considering it.”

“Think carefully. Mars may be my great-grandchild, but his ambitions are far too great. I cannot support them.”

“Mars’ ambitions? What exactly is he planning?”

“Indeed. That child seeks to start a world war.”

A world war.

I held my breath for a moment.

Was there a world war in any of the game’s episodes?

…There was.

Episode 6: Nuclear War.

A scenario where nuclear-armed nations launched their missiles simultaneously, reducing Earth to a wasteland.

That was the point where Arcane Seoul essentially became an apocalypse genre.

Seoul, the game’s main setting, remained intact, but resource shortages and a collapsed supply chain gradually pushed society toward ruin.

‘Wait… wasn’t the Truth Tower supposed to be behind it?’

Just like how Episodes 1, 2, and 3 had the Old Father’s Cult as the secret antagonist, Episodes 4, 5, and 6 were said to have the Truth Tower pulling the strings.

Even in the nuclear war episode, the Truth Tower was the final boss.

“Mars lost the Gigantomachy and fled. Then, the fall of the Roman Empire drove him into further decline. Even the Byzantine Empire betrayed him. How pitiful. I personally sympathize with him… but I do not wish to see nine-tenths of humanity perish in a world war.

Child, I hope you reject his offer.

If you become his apostle, you will gain great honor and claim the throne of martial arts, but the cost will be too great.”

…Alright.

So what would she give me instead?

The question almost slipped out.

But I held my tongue.

Gaia was still a Greek god.

She was acting like a kind old grandmother now, but who knew when she’d turn around and start playing dirty?

“I will seriously consider it. I do not wish to see human civilization fall. Warriors may rise through war, but I prefer peace and prosperity.”

“Hmph. Slippery as an eel.”

Radon muttered under his breath.

Persephone sided with me.

“Why would a human give a definite answer and risk being cursed by Mars? Dragon God of Life, Radon, will you take responsibility if something happens?”

“Hmph!”

“Then don’t speak recklessly.”

Was it because she, too, had suffered under the old gods?

Or was it because I had bloomed the Celestial Flame Flower?

Whatever the reason, she had been acting rather friendly toward me.

Gaia took a sip of nectar before speaking again.

“My, my. We have talked too much. Child, you must have many questions. Ask what you wish.”

I had plenty.

Far too many.

But time was running out.

The nectar and ambrosia on the table had already been consumed more than halfway.

I had to ask only the most important questions.

“Since you’ve offered, there is something I’d like to ask. The Great—ah, excuse me—the Northern Sky Thunder told me that I was summoned not by a deity, but by another entity. Do you know who it was?”

“I do not, child.”

“…Pardon? But aren’t you the Heaviest Mother? Don’t you know all that happens on Earth?”

And the Underworld, too.

After all, the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, had become one of Gaia’s vice-deities.

“If it happened on Earth, I would know. The same applies to the Underworld. But there are places even I cannot see. You know of them, don’t you?”

“The Heavens…”

“Yes. If it occurred in a Heaven, I would have no way of knowing. The same applies to a hidden shadow dimension or an Otherworld beyond the Great Rift.”

That complicated things.

A Heaven, a shadow dimension, or an Otherworld?

‘No… this is still a lead.’

Only two types of superhumans could conduct a summoning ritual in such places.

Mages and priests.

At the very least, it wasn’t a warrior or a reinforced superhuman.

Not that summoning rituals were particularly common among priests or mages, either.

‘Then…’

I had to ask one more question.

“Could it have been the Saintess of the Old Father’s Cult?”

She was my top suspect.

As a Saintess, she had both the motive and the means.

And if the ritual had been conducted in the Old Father’s Holy Kingdom, it could have evaded the gaze of the gods.

But was I wrong?

Gaia slowly shook her head.

“I do not believe it was her. Summoning an Otherworldly soul is an immensely difficult task. It requires vast amounts of power, sacrifice, and mana. The summoner’s very soul would also suffer great damage. Tell me, child—when you met her, did she seem like someone whose soul had been damaged?”

“No, she did not.”

“Unless one is Level 9, soul deterioration is unavoidable. Whoever summoned you is likely already destroyed or dead. The Black Gold Sect could have pulled it off, but… I cannot say for certain.”

Gaia’s tone was doubtful.

So, it wasn’t the Saintess?

Then who the hell was it?

The answer continued to elude me.

Ugh.

I decided to be satisfied with the information I had gained.

“Thank you. That was very helpful.”

“Oh, don’t mention it. If only Apollo were still around, he would have given you a clear answer. But alas. Instead, I shall grant you a gift. You came here with a wish, did you not?”

“Ah, my wish is…”

It was already decided.

The Level 7 Reconstruction Elixir blueprint.

Though, I also wanted Earth’s Trait, if possible…

Since I had completed all three tasks, maybe I could get both?

Just as I was about to speak—

Gaia raised her hand.

Three orbs of light emerged, floating gently before her.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

They slowly revolved, taking shape.

One was a blue and yellow cube.

The other two were golden scrolls.

Gaia spoke softly.

“These are what you desired.”

…That’s quite a lot.

The cube was likely Earth’s Trait.

The first scroll was surely the Reconstruction Elixir blueprint.

But why were there two scrolls?

Not just one?

The moment I noticed, I realized what the second scroll was.

It was noticeably larger than the first.

Eight sections were emphasized.

Eight.

Not four—eight.

Gaia confirmed my suspicion.

“Child, don’t you need the Level 8 blueprint as well?”

–TL Notes–

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