After Ten Millennia in Hell

Side Story Chapter 113 - Trait Gacha (3)

‘Usurpation of Flame.’

Fwoosh—!!

Gold and black flames like that of a black sun wrapped around Kang-Woo and slowly slithered like a snake to gather around the dark blue sword.

Rumble—!

The flames inside the dark blue sword condensed and shook the training room.

‘That’s enough.’

No matter how powerful the barrier protecting the underground training room was, he couldn’t risk the entire building collapsing by condensing even more flames.

“Hup!”

Boom!

Kang-Woo stomped his foot and sprang up from his lowered stance as he slashed Midir upward.

Fwoosh—!!!

A line of fire was formed in the air. The Flames of Voracity condensed in the blade ignited and burst like a volcano, smashing into the training room wall.

Crack—!!

“H-Huh? Wait a fucking second!!”

The barrier Kang-Woo had set up so that it would last at least twenty seconds against the Flames of Voracity was cracking and about to be destroyed. At this rate, the underground training room would collapse, and the apartment building would collapse with it.

“OH, FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!”

Kang-Woo couldn’t let his home, which he had painstakingly prepared, be destroyed. He threw Midir aside and threw himself into the Flames of Voracity destroying the barrier.

“KURGH—!!”

It was truly ironic to see a person blocking his own technique with his body. The condensed Flames of Voracity tore Kang-Woo apart, turning him into a rag as if he were attacked by a school of piranhas.

“Gurgh...”

Intense pain shot throughout his body, but he couldn’t help but smile as he was groaning in pain.

‘Yeah, this is it!!’

It was far more powerful than he had expected. The Flames of Voracity, condensed with the Usurpation of Flame Trait, were far more powerful than before.

“Hehehe. I guess the more desperate one ultimately comes out on top.”

Kang-Woo never expected to get so much stronger from just a B-rank Trait, but he was extremely satisfied with the results.

‘It’s making me want to pull more now.’

He still had five more pulls. He couldn’t help but be greedy after figuring out that just because the Trait’s rank was low didn’t necessarily mean it was bad.

“Tsk,” Kang-Woo clicked his tongue after some thought and shook his head. “I should leave it for the others.”

Since he had gotten far stronger than he expected after acquiring the Usurpation of Flame Trait, it was pointless to get even more greedy.

‘That’s just how important it is for the others to get stronger as well.’

Kang-Woo pushed aside the desire and turned around. He took the elevator up to the building’s top floor.

“Oh, hyung-nim!”

The moment Kang-Woo arrived at the top floor, the door of the elevator across from the one he was on also opened, revealing Kim Si-Hun.

“You got here just now?” Kang-Woo asked.

“Haha. I’m sorry. I was a little busy with something.”

“Hehe. It’s fine, I just got here too.”

Kang-Woo entered his home with Si-Hun. In the spacious living room were Han Seol-Ah, Lilith, Cha Yeon-Joo, and Balrog who came as soon as he was contacted.

“Looks like everyone’s here.”

“MY KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!”

Boom!

Balrog stood up and raced toward Kang-Woo in his giant original form. His hideous face crumpled to look even worse.

“Fucking hell.”

‘Just look at yourself, dammit.’

“WHY DID YOU GO RELIC HUNTING WITH THAT BITCH INSTEAD OF ME?!” shouted Balrog as he pointed at Lilith giggling from the back.

“Because you’d be useless when searching for relics.”

Balrog had no searching abilities so he would have been of no use whatsoever.[1]

‘Actually, I guess he would’ve been.’

They got all of the relics through violence and plundering. Rather, Lilith with her exceptional searching and tracking abilities had not been of much help this time.

“Kurgh! B-But...”

“Besides, you had stuff to do at the time, man.”

“Urgh...”

Balrog’s shoulders dropped in dejection. Kang-Woo smirked and lightly smacked Balrog’s stomach with his palm.

“I’ll call you next time something happens, so don’t be so down, dammit.”

“Hehe. That’s a promise, right?” Balrog raised his head with a smile as if he were never dejected in the first place.

It seemed like it had been an act all along. Kang-Woo chuckled; even he had been fooled by the perfect switch in expression.

“Son of a bitch, of all the things to take after me... I guess you’ve been raring to go, huh?”

“There haven’t been many opportunities to fight, after all,” Balrog replied.

“That’s true.”

Balrog was a born warrior, molded by endless battle. He would naturally be bored by peaceful life on Earth.

“Endure it for a little longer. I’m sure Akart will make his move soon enough.”

“Kehehe. Understood.” Balrog smiled and sat back down.

“More importantly, hyung-nim. What did you gather us for?” asked Si-Hun as he tilted his head in wonder.

“I have a gift for you all,” Kang-Woo answered.

“A gift?”

“I’m going to awaken a Trait in each of you. But of course, the rank of the Traits you get is random.”

“A-Awaken a Trait?” asked Si-Hun in shock.

His reaction was natural since any Player knew how strongly Traits influenced their strength. Traits normally could only be acquired every ten levels.

“H-How are you going to do that?”

“Mmm... it’s a long story.”

Kang-Woo explained to the others about Eve, how he had gained access to a portion of the Law of Titans’ functions as the guardian deity, and the power of a Titan infused in the relics.

“Wow, so that’s why you were stealing all those relics left and right, huh?” Yeon-Joo nodded.

“What do you mean, steal? Those relics were yielded to me fair and square.”

“Bullshit.”

“In any case, I’m going to awaken a trait in each of you.”

“You said the type and rank of the Traits we get is random, right?”

“Yeah, but you’ll apparently get a Trait more or less right for you.”

Tentacle Expansion and Usurpation of Flame both had some connection to Kang-Woo. He wasn’t entirely sure but there was likely a higher chance that one would acquire a Trait that fit them the most.

‘Though that doesn’t seem to be the case with Astral Projection.’

Kang-Woo couldn’t think of any connection he had with Astral Projection.

“What is a Trait, exactly?” asked Balrog, who wasn’t a Player, incomprehensibly.

“Mmm... you can think of it as similar to an Authority.”

“A-An Authority?”

“Though it can only be as strong as one the higher its rank is.”

There were also Authorities so bad that it was a mystery as to why such Authorities existed.

“Let’s start with you, Darling.”

“M-Me?”

“What? Do you want to go later?”

“No, I’m happy that I get to be your first.”

“That’s a dangerous choice of words.”

‘Darling, if you keep doing that, we’ll get scolded by the editor again.’

“Fufu. I’ll leave it to you, Kang-Woo. It’s my first time, so please be gentle.”

“What the...”

Seol-Ah giggled teasingly and approached Kang-Woo. Kang-Woo sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Do it, Eve.”

[Yes, Sir Guardian Deity!]

Swirl—!!

A blue message window enveloped Seol-Ah, and the roulette spun at the same time.

Riiing!

[You have acquired the Trait【Magnificent Gourmet (Rank: S)】!]

“Huh? I got an S-rank.”

Seol-Ah was left wide-eyed as she stared at the message window in front of her.

“Really?”

An S-rank Trait was so high that a normal Player would rarely get a chance to get even one. Although Players like Seol-Ah, Yeon-Joo, and Si-Hun were absurdly powerful, S was a decent rank even by their standards.

“What kind of Trait is it?” Kang-Woo asked.

“It’s called Magnificent Gourmet,” Seol-Ah replied.

“Magnificent Gourmet?”

One couldn’t deduce what a Trait could do based on its name alone.

“What does it do?” Kang-Woo asked.

“Mm... Just a moment, please.” Seol-Ah looked through the message window only she could view. “It’s a Trait that amplifies the flavor of the food I make.”

“What... did you say?”

‘Wait, what? Darling’s kimchi stew will get even more delicious...?’

Kang-Woo couldn’t even imagine such a thing. It meant that Seol-Ah’s kimchi stew, already so delicious that he had never grown tired of it even after eating it every day, could become even more delicious. Not only that, but the Trait was S-rank, meaning the amplification of flavor would be so magnificent that it could even melt Kang-Woo’s taste buds.

‘Th-This is insane!’

Kang-Woo pumped his fists into the air.

“MAGNIFICENT!! MAGNIFICEEEEEEEEEEENT!!!” Kang-Woo jumped into Seol-Ah’s arms and showered her cheek with kisses. “I LOVE YOU, DARLING!! YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE FOR MEEEEEEE!!”

“M-My, Kang-Woo~ Everyone can see~”

Despite saying that, Seol-Ah was not pushing Kang-Woo away but rather hugging him back with a smile. Not only that but she turned her head so that his kisses were on her lips instead.

“Hehehe. I’m glad you love it so much,” said Seol-Ah as she smiled and twisted in embarrassment.

“Sheesh, get a goddamn room.” Yeon-Joo frowned in displeasure. “But isn’t it a bit too mundane for an S-rank Trait? Is amplifying flavor all it does?”

“It says the food can also grant special effects when eaten.”

“Aha.” Yeon-Joo nodded in satisfaction. “So it’s a buff-type Trait. What kind of effects?”

“Mm... I think I’ll have to make something to find out.”

“Hmm.” Yeon-Joo turned her head away apathetically and pouted. “I’d have been better off with a Trait like that.”

“How many people do you think you’re going to kill with a Trait like that?” Kang-Woo asked teasingly.

“Wh-What?! My food can become delicious too with an S-rank Trait!”

Yeon-Joo kicked Kang-Woo repeatedly. Kang-Woo snickered as he grabbed Yeon-Joo’s leg and tickled her feet.

“Ack! L-Let me go, dammit!!”

“Hehehe. How dare you kick your dearest husband?”

“That’s a bit cringe.”

“Sorry.”

Kang-Woo flinched as Yeon-Joo suddenly criticized him with a straight face. It was a bit too cringe even for him.

‘That aside, a buff-type Trait, huh?’

He would only find out whether the Trait’s effects were good or not after eating Seol-Ah’s food and checking the buff it gave.

‘Hehe. Even without the buff, it’s a win just from the fact that Darling’s food will be even tastier.’

Good food was far more important in life than one could imagine; it could even be a driving force for one to stay alive.

‘At least, it was for me.’

He had longed for that feeling every day of his ten millennia in Hell.

‘The Trait gacha was more than worth it just for this.’

Seol-Ah’s combat prowess did not rise like what Kang-Woo had hoped but it was more than good enough.

“Alright, next up is...”

Kang-Woo slowly turned to look at Balrog and gestured with his finger to come. Balrog smiled nastily and stood up. His expression looked as if he wanted to rip his prey’s limbs apart and shower in its blood, but it was simply one of expectation.

“Kehehehe!! I will be in your care, my king. It’s my first time, so please be—”

“Don’t fucking finish that sentence, dammit!!!”

1. I mean, neither does Seol-Ah and Yeon-Joo but you took them... ☜