Trait Hoarder-Chapter 297: Old Father – (2)

Old Father – Part 2

The Saintess began to dissolve.

It looked like her body was being consumed chunk by chunk by transparent demon claws.

Starting from the extremities—fingers and toes—bits of her were torn away piece by piece.

Only one thing remained.

A blood-teared, wrinkle-ridden head.

The blood splattered across the ground all evaporated at once.

And then—void, and radiance, surged forth.

What emerged was a grotesque blend of human and dragon.

Its head was that of a twisted dragon, its face lacked all features.

Its torso was humanoid, but its limbs were bundles of writhing tentacles.

And sprouting from its back were the wings of a dragon, the wings of an angel, and the wings of a demon—all at once.

“Hrr… ha…”

The Saintess’ head, embedded in its chest, let out a grotesque moan.

My stomach turned.

I felt like vomiting.

In the game, this was crudely rendered.

But in reality, the Old Father was unspeakably raw and repulsive.

GUOOOO…

The Old Father slowly clenched his right hand.

The wind howled.

A cosmic wind, saturated with mana, began to gather toward him.

His egg-shaped, featureless face gazed once at the universe—then down at me.

[It has been long…]

A gloomy voice.

Just hearing it made my head reel.

[So very long…]

The Old Father sat upon the throne.

Leaning back arrogantly, he curled a finger toward me.

[Come to me… O Third Throne… My vessel, the savior of this world, the light of the Void Realms…]

Are you out of your mind?

I scoffed and gripped the Heavenly Demon Sword.

I raised a mental pillar in my mind.

All my mental resistance traits activated in unison.

And shining brilliantly, my Hero traits flared.

Thanks to that, I was able to shrug off the divine command—the spiritual assault of the Old Father.

“Would you go if you were me?”

[Fufufu…]

The Old Father closed his left hand.

Grrrrrrk.

The throne trembled.

Phase 3 was truly beginning now.

Staring at me, the Old Father muttered,

[Do you not sense the end of fate approaching? Very well. O my Third Throne… As a sign of respect for your status, I shall dismantle you with my own hands.]

BOOM!

He spread both hands and slammed them down on the throne’s armrests.

And the world changed in an instant.

The Grand Hall, which had crumbled to ruin during my fight with the Saintess—

All of it collapsed, revealing the space beyond.

That space was the Void.

Or perhaps… outer space.

The hollow void I once ascended through in pursuit of constellations now stretched wide, ink-dark and oppressive.

And that space began to emit a strange light. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Yellowish. Muddled green. Murky blue-gray.

It was as if someone had mixed all those filthy colors together and stirred them into a rotting mass of oil that slithered and churned up from the depths.

I tightened my grip on the Heavenly Demon Sword.

[The Color of the Cosmos]

It was a time attack.

This entire space would deal damage to me.

And the longer I stayed, the more intense it would become.

If I couldn’t kill the Old Father before it hit the threshold—game over.

But the Old Father wasn’t done.

He raised his right hand and spoke in a shadowy voice.

[Morning Star, come forth.]

FWASH!

A star fell from the cosmos and landed in his right hand.

Then he extended his left hand downward.

[Abyss, come forth.]

GUWAAA…

A shadow surged up and fused into his left hand.

Now, in his right—golden light. In his left—darkness.

The Old Father, with that grotesque egg-like face, stared down at me and spoke.

[Receive it. O my Third Throne.]

He extended his right hand.

A ferocious roar rang out.

A tangible shockwave, like a dragon’s breath, blasted toward me!

[Starlight Roar]

I couldn’t take that head-on.

It was a guaranteed kill.

I stomped lightly off the ground.

My body transformed into lightning and escaped the impact zone in a flash.

A diagonal trajectory—straight toward him!

Just for a second, I thought I saw light flash in the Old Father’s eyes.

[Tricks…]

Then he opened his left hand.

The world plunged into darkness.

Not just where I stood—but the entire surrounding area.

A third of the Grand Hall’s floor looked like it had been swallowed by ink.

[Shadow of the Abyss]

Looking at that, I thought:

‘It’s just like the game.’

This was also a guaranteed kill.

The Saintess’ Phase 3 fight was all about control.

You had to avoid one-shot zones while constantly dishing out damage.

The key was shaving down HP efficiently within the time limit.

“HAAH!”

I flowed seamlessly into a trait swap.

In a blink, I was right before the throne.

The Heavenly Demon Sword roared and unleashed Sword Force!

That was the moment the World Trait cracked.

Growth burst forth like wildfire.

Roots burrowed deep, the trunk thickened several times over, and the leaves bloomed wildly from the ends of every branch.

And finally—I did what I had always dreamed of doing.

[Mars Swordsmanship] [Nephilim Sword] [Kalaratri]

I fused the three great sword arts into one.

A triple fusion, beyond even dual-spec hybridization!

[][Absolute Invincible Sword][]

The Sword Force changed.

It evolved in real time.

What should I even call this?

It contained divinity, the cosmos, and the end of all things.

And yet—it had no color.

It was utterly transparent.

Nearly formless, and yet bursting with annihilating power.

It devoured even the Thousand Demon Heaven-Piercing Sword as it fired forward.

[Hahaha.]

The Old Father laughed, as if pleased.

[Excellent.]

Then, with a flick of his right hand, as if brushing away a bug—

Instead of firing Starlight Roar, he wrapped his hand in it.

Like a Fist King unleashing Fist Force.

Or like the Heavenly Demon unleashing Thousand Demon Heaven-Piercing Palm in the game.

CRAAAACK!

The shockwave exploded.

Starlight Roar, the instant kill move, detonated at close range.

Not in a straight line—but in a radial blast.

A move never seen in the game.

‘Wha…’

I faltered for just a moment—but kept charging in.

My transcendent mind accelerated my thoughts.

If I retreated here, it would be game over.

Instead, I activated an artifact.

Bathed in golden light, I unleashed Sword Force.

But then—

CRACK!

“Guh!”

Just after I drove the Absolute Invincible Sword into the Old Father—

A massive, colossal Morning Star slammed into me with full force.

The overwhelming impact crushed my body.

For a moment, my consciousness blinked out from the sheer destruction.

By the time I barely came to my senses, I’d been launched several kilometers and was sprawled on the floor of the Grand Hall.

“Guh!”

I coughed up blood.

My head was spinning.

‘How is this possible…?’

I had just activated the Golden Fleece.

The Immortality that grants invincibility.

And yet the Old Father’s casual swat shattered that immortality and slammed straight into me.

If I hadn’t used Immortality, I would’ve been killed instantly.

And if Golden Fleece couldn’t block it, then not even Ambrosia would’ve saved me.

I braced myself with one hand and barely pushed myself upright.

The Old Father’s grotesque face shifted, as if it were smiling.

[Vessel. There are limits to humanity.]

The Old Father raised both hands.

[No matter how much karma humanity accumulates, no matter how many treasures and powers they gather—they cannot stand against a god. It is not too late. If you come willingly now, I will no longer torment you, Vessel.]

There was only one answer I could give.

“Get lost!”

[So you insist on defiance… Very well. If that is the fate you have chosen, I shall accept it.]

The Old Father interlocked his hands as if folding them together.

The Morning Star and Abyss radiated overwhelming mana.

Then, magic light began flashing in all directions.

“Son of a—”

A curse slipped out instinctively.

I didn’t even have time to recover—I quickly scanned my surroundings.

Stars were glowing in a full 360 degrees.

And they were heating up—just like the Morning Star held by the Old Father.

BOOM!

Starlight Roar, repeated!

Beams of light surged in every direction.

Crisscrossing wildly, they blasted toward me.

Thick beams targeted me from every angle.

I turned into lightning and shot away.

In the game, this was a grid-like pattern attack.

But here, it was 360-degree omnidirectional crossfire.

Not just front, back, left, and right—but above, below, and all diagonals.

And it wasn’t over yet.

One-third of the Grand Hall’s floor was randomly darkening.

Shadow of the Abyss had been activated at the same time.

And at an even faster rhythm.

[Intersection Point]

‘What kind of bullshit is this!?’

This was supposed to be a final desperation move, used when his HP dropped below 10%.

But he’s using it already?

My chest turned cold.

‘This isn’t like the game.’

His base combat ability was way higher.

His instant-kill skills were breaking through invincibility.

He was mixing in kill moves with basic attacks he never used in-game.

‘How the hell do I beat this?’

My eyes darkened.

‘Even so, I can’t lose.’

This is it. The final stretch.

If I kill the Old Father, it’s all over.

I’ll obtain a fragment of divinity, reach level 9, and be able to break through Episodes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

As this world’s Sword Star.

As a level 9 superhuman and a conglomerate head.

I’ll live large.

“You…”

That’s why I didn’t give up.

Grinding my teeth like I was tearing into raw meat, I steeled my resolve.

“You’re the only one I need to kill!”

I ran.

Dodging the intersecting starlight beams.

Leaping over the blackened, corrupted floor.

Flickering through space in teleports.

And finally—I drove my sword into the Old Father once more.

BOOM!

The Absolute Invincible Sword exploded through space like a bombardment.

The Old Father slowly raised his left hand.

Space warped.

The sword that had been flying toward his heart struck his left palm instead.

Just barely—only the very tip of the blade made contact.

The power of the Abyss had dampened the attack.

The Old Father looked down at me with a solemn expression.

[That stung.]

“What?”

[It is meaningless, Vessel.]

He swung his right hand again.

Starlight flashed.

Instinctively, I deployed Aegis.

[Celestial Wall] [Master of the Shield] [Vajra Body]

[][Ultimate Barrier][]

I reinforced it with Muryangon and Heavenly Demon Barrier too.

I thought I could block it.

I believed it would be even better than Golden Fleece’s Immortality or Ambrosia’s invincibility.

I added two more defensive traits and braced.

I clenched my teeth out of habit and faced the attack.

And that’s when I realized something had gone terribly, horribly wrong.

CRUNCH!

The sound of bones breaking.

The sensation of my whole body shattering.

The searing pain torched my brain.

My left arm was being crushed by tearing agony.

“Guhah!”

I was blasted away again, several kilometers.

That wasn’t even the issue.

What mattered was what I saw when I looked at my left arm.

Aegis.

Not the genuine artifact, but still a sacred-grade relic.

The shield that had protected me through countless battles.

The pristine, transparent gear—

Was shattered into dozens of pieces on the ground.

“N-no way…”

[Fufufu.]

The Old Father straightened his body.

He took one step forward.

The entire Grand Hall trembled.

That shockwave finally snapped me back to my senses.

I triggered Golden Fleece’s resurrection power and recovered in an instant.

I stood up and gripped Mjolnir and my sword—

But the Old Father swung his left hand again.

Space twisted.

Even time distorted.

My body was forcefully dragged toward him.

RATATATATATANG!

I unleashed a barrage with twin pistols.

[Invincible Gun] [Finisher] [Insight]

[][God-Slaying Throne][]

Elemental bullets poured out.

On top of Master Marksman’s abilities, I added four-elemental attacks using Heavenly Demon Elemental Rule, and even infused it with Thousand Demon Heaven-Piercing Gun.

BOOM! BOOM!

Small explosions erupted on the Old Father’s body.

But that was all.

His body, forged from void and radiance, rippled slightly—nothing more.

His defense and resistance were just too strong. I couldn’t pierce through.

[That tickles, Vessel.]

Before I knew it, the Old Father was right in front of me.

He nullified my evasive movement with some strange force and kicked me.

“GUUAGH!”

All my defenses shattered in a single blow.

My Black Tiger Attire tracksuit was ripped to shreds.

The Star Spawn Armor was torn and left in tatters.

My Dragon Monarch’s Crown, Golden Dragon Belt, and Phoenix Belt were all destroyed.

“Y-you bastard!”

Narrow Escape activated.

I’d sacrificed a magic artifact and gained a single extra chance.

While every wound in my body was regenerating, I hurled Mjolnir with all the strength I had.

[Master of the Blunt] [Lightning Strike] [Sacred Crown Knight]

[][Annihilation Thunderbolt][]

Even to me, it looked like a perfect throw.

This wasn’t just a transparent annihilation bolt.

Thousand Demon Heaven-Piercing Spear was fused into it—maybe even Heavenly Demon Thunder Destruction too.

If anything could make the Old Father flinch, this would be it!

[Hmph.]

But the Old Father only sneered.

He reached out his left hand.

And caught Mjolnir.

He gripped it gently.

Screeeech!

Mjolnir screamed.

Then, after letting off a few bursts of black lightning—

It shattered.

It crumbled like ash, dissolving into dust.

All that remained was the handle gripped in the Old Father’s hand, and some scattered metal shards and powder on the Grand Hall floor.

‘Wh… what did I just see?’

I rubbed my eyes without thinking.

But nothing changed.

There was nothing left.

Only the broken handle in the Old Father’s grip, and the remains of a once-sacred weapon scattered on the floor.

“How… how…”

[Fufufu.]

The Old Father waved a hand.

The floor turned transparent, revealing the Divine Kingdom below.

The black wasteland where a cataclysm had erupted.

Strangely enough, the battle had ended.

The angel and demon legions were gone.

Only the allied forces remained, cleaning up the aftermath.

[Vessel.]

The Old Father spoke in a low voice.

[I was utterly sincere in this endeavor. I burned everything I’ve accumulated over thousands of years for this day. Do you think a human could possibly catch up to such infinite karma?]

He burned it all?

Everything he built over thousands of years?

Chills ran down my spine.

My entire body’s hairs stood on end.

The Old Father—this great demon god—

He hadn’t just sacrificed his Saintess and his cult.

He’d used up all his minions. Even his angels and demons.

That whole resurrection window? A deception.

Or worse—maybe it was the true final trigger.

A sacrifice timer, disguised as a second chance, baiting even his own followers.

“It’s not over yet.”

I rose, gripping the Heavenly Demon Sword with both hands.

The only artifacts I had left were the Heart of the World Tree, Ring of the Black Hole, and the Prophet’s Loop.

Clink!

I removed the elbow guard infused with Red and tossed it aside.

It didn’t matter anymore.

Whether I used Heavenly Demon Dragon King or tried to forge new traits through triple fusion—

Sending Red to a meaningless death was pointless. I was better off alone.

“Huuh…”

I summoned every last drop of my strength.

I would use Absolute Invincible Sword and Thousand Demon Heaven-Piercing Sword together.

The Heart of the World Tree glimmered in a prismatic glow.

The Ring of the Black Hole leached mana from the Old Father.

The Prophet’s Loop showed me glimpses of the future.

This was the best I could do.

The strongest attack I had.

But I couldn’t stop the doubt creeping up in my heart.

‘Can I win?’

I’d used the same move in my first strike.

And the Old Father barely flinched.

So now?

Could I really turn the tide?

The answer—if I’m being honest—was no.

The Heavenly Demon Sword, flying like a meteor—

Was stopped by a single finger.

The Old Father, as if toying with me, extended his index finger.

And it met my blade.

Sword tip against fingertip. A spark of light flared.

“Huh?”

The Heavenly Demon Sword crumbled.

Starting from the tip—

It disintegrated, ground to dust like a sandcastle in a storm.

It shattered, splintered, and vanished without a trace.

How? How!?

Arcane Seoul’s strongest sword—gone?

Stronger than Excalibur, stronger than Balmung, stronger even than the Black Tiger Sword.

A weapon that existed only in data—destroyed?

No matter how I denied it, this was reality.

The Old Father’s enormous finger halted right in front of my face.

Then it bent slightly and flicked.

A soft flick, as if trying not to hurt me too badly.

From his perspective, just a teasing gesture—more about control than force.

But to me, it was catastrophic.

“GAAAAAAAAH!”

My whole body shattered.

My internal organs liquefied on the spot.

The last three artifacts I had were instantly destroyed.

My Weapon Cradle too.

Mountain Wail, Hailstorm, the Master Marksman Pistols, the Ring of Grand Escape, the Ambrosia Elixir Chip—all shattered and scattered like garbage across the floor.

“Ggh… gah…!”

I barely reached out a hand.

Activated both Ambrosia and Elixir chips at once.

Radiant energy enveloped me, healing and protecting—

But that was it.

“Hah… haha…”

I could only laugh.

“Ahahaha…”

Mountain Wail, Hailstorm, Master Marksman Pistols were intact.

But so what?

All my magic equipment was ruined.

Only the hilt of the Heavenly Demon Sword remained.

The golf bag I left behind before the battle—the Black Tiger Sword still sheathed within—was nearby.

But it meant nothing.

I couldn’t beat the Old Father even at full power.

How was I supposed to win with just the Black Tiger Sword?

I couldn’t.

Crushing despair and hollow emptiness filled me.

[Fufufu.]

The Old Father returned to the throne.

[Vessel. Offer up your heart willingly. I will end it without pain. But…]

He raised his right hand.

Only his index finger—the same one that had shattered my sword—extended toward me.

[If you continue to resist, I will not forgive you. You may become my Third Throne—but your soul shall suffer for eternity.]

What should I do?

What can I do?

I stared at the Old Father with empty eyes.

…Should I give up?

That thought consumed my mind.

Fsssshhh.

The shattered Heavenly Demon Sword released a black mist.

The lingering resonance of Heavenly Demon Art.

And perhaps stirred by it—my World Trait began to quiver.

Like it was saying, “You can still take one more step.”

“…Shit.”

Was this my failure?

Should I have further evolved the World Trait?

Should I have raided a divine beast, unlocked triple fusion, shattered the Heavenly Demon Sword myself to move past its limits?

I thought I was prepared…

I thought this was the peak of my growth…

And now, bitter regret hammered into my chest.

“Damn it!”

I shouted.

But the world didn’t change.

The Old Father simply looked down on me with silent pressure.

“Ahahaha!”

Even the Saintess, embedded in his chest, opened her mouth to mock me.

“How is it, Mr. Kim Junsu?”

Her eyes opened.

Those bloodshot eyes locked directly onto mine.

“How does it feel to be reborn—as the Sword Star of this life, the Heavenly Demon of your past, and the new God-King of the New World?”

“You mocking me?”

I bit my lower lip.

The metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth.

The Saintess laughed madly.

“Ahaha! Mocking you? Oh no, no! This is a celebration, dear Heavenly Demon! A welcome party for our eternal suffering together! Ahaha! Ahahahaha!”

It’s meaningless.

Whether I was the Heavenly Demon in a past life doesn’t matter now—because I’ve lost.

‘Is this really the end?’

I asked myself.

‘It ends… like this?’

It can’t.

If I was going to die like this, I would’ve ended it the day I realized I’d fallen into this world.

I would’ve given my head to a mutant hedgehog and called it a day.

After everything I clawed and scraped through to survive—

I can’t end it like this.

Not like this!

But how?

The Heavenly Demon Sword is broken.

I’m practically naked.

What can I do?

With a hopeless gaze, I looked down at my chest.

The World Trait, stretching like a mana circuit across my entire body, came into focus.

And with it—a memory flashed in my mind.

[Is that the power the World Tree gave you? You’re using it in an interesting way. That’s not how it’s supposed to be used, you know.]

That’s what the Goddess of Lectures had said.

And recently, I’d heard something similar.

[I’m talking about the tree inside you, Sword Star. That tree will continue to grow and grow. And only when it no longer fuses just your powers—but your soul, your life, your destiny, and everything you are—only then will you truly achieve what you seek.]

That was the whisper of the Witch of Machines.

Why had the goddess and the witch both said that?

The World Trait was supposed to be about gathering, strengthening, and combining traits.

But soul… life… destiny?

An epiphany struck me like lightning.

“Ah.”

I get it now.

Finally, I understand.

The World Trait’s fusion ability—was never limited to traits.

Its true power…

Was to fuse entire worlds and lives into one.