Trait Hoarder

Stockholm Grand Palace — Part 4

“You’re a Paladin of Thor! Is this how a Paladin should act?”

Someone shouted indignantly.

What nonsense.

Without hesitation, I hurled Mjolnir.

Boom!

The thunderous hammer grazed the speaker’s cheek, lightning sparking as it passed.

He was just a measly Level 4 Reinforced, unable to react in time before his strength gave out and he collapsed to his knees.

Catching the returning Mjolnir, I sneered.

“W-what? You’re not a Paladin?”

“Nope. I don’t serve any god. So, what’s your answer?”

I tossed Mjolnir into the air, caught it, and tossed it again, the rhythmic motions causing faint rumbling thunder to echo.

The Aegis on my left arm pulsed with the energy of the earth.

The gathered superhumans stared at me with pale faces.

To them, I was clearly a Paladin, but it was inconceivable for a Paladin to deny their god.

Eventually, they gave up trying to understand.

“Fine! Do as you wish!”

“You broke through, and you took control, so it’s yours.”

“Damn it! I thought I’d change my fate today!”

“Would you at least let me watch? I swear by Odin, my father, and my son that I won’t covet your spoils.”

“I feel the same. But to claim your loot, you’ll need to clear this battlefield, no? The spoils belong to the plains until today’s battle ends. I’d like to contribute to your fight.”

One of the rules of the Vigrid Plains:

Only the victor of a battle could take spoils outside the plains.

If someone ignored this rule and tried to escape with loot like the ring or the ship, they’d vanish the moment they stepped off the battlefield.

I glanced at the superhumans, then slowly nodded.

“I’ll accept you if you swear not to covet my spoils and to follow my commands.”

“I swear!”

“I swear it too!”

“Good. Then prepare for battle. We’re sweeping the ground forces.”

“Now that’s the kind of order I like!”

Every one of them was a Nordic.

Nordics held oaths and promises sacred, even in the modern era.

Koreans might never trust such words, but a Nordic’s oath could be believed.

Even the Prophet’s Ring confirmed their psychological states as [Truthful].

I moved toward the bridge.

Though this was an ancient ship, the bridge looked like something out of a sci-fi space opera.

The captain’s chair stood raised at the center and toward the back, with stations for weapons control, navigation, communications, and detection arranged in front.

To operate this ship, it seemed like a decent crew would be necessary.

The superhumans who followed me sparkled with excitement.

Even though the ship was mine, they clearly wanted a chance to touch the controls, if only for a moment.

Some seemed ready to offer themselves as permanent crew.

But their expectations were quickly shattered.

My smartphone buzzed.

[Master! I can pilot this ship!]

“Huh?”

[Please take me to the bridge!]

It was the magical spirit of the Red Cougar.

The car entered the spacious bridge on autopilot, hovering into an appropriate position.

Shhrrk!

Thick cables extended from the Red Cougar, connecting to the magical circle at the captain’s station.

Mana signals flickered back and forth, and the robotic head inside the Red Cougar glowed brightly.

Vrrrrm.

The ship rumbled almost simultaneously.

Lights flickered on inside the bridge.

Magical screens powered up, displaying the outside view in crystal clarity.

A 3D map hovered in midair, offering a comprehensive view.

“You’re piloting it now?”

[Yes! You’re familiar with Freyr’s Sword, right?]

“The autonomous sword that killed giants by itself? Of course.”

[That sword is the prototype for all magical spirits! So, as a magical spirit, I can operate Freyr’s ship too!]

That… makes sense, I guess.

The 3D map expanded, rendering the entire Vigrid Plains in perfect detail.

Though the celestial battle had ended, the war on the ground was only beginning.

Giants were advancing.

At the front, the army of fire giants stomped forward, crushing, splitting, and smashing the Einherjar forces.

Frost giants, sea giants, mud giants, wind giants, and even hill giants followed behind them.

Though the Einherjar were numerous, they were clearly outnumbered.

At best, the battle would end in mutual destruction.

At worst, the Einherjar might lose entirely.

“Fenrir is nowhere to be seen.”

“Neither is Jormungandr.”

“Surt and Hel aren’t here either.”

“There are no gods, just giants and Einherjar.”

Good.

If this had been the full Ragnarok from the original myth, with gods and their adversaries all present, there would’ve been nothing I could do.

But today’s Ragnarok was manageable.

Most of the forces were Level 5 grunts, with some Level 6 mixed in and the occasional Level 7.

That was a scale I could work with.

And all of them were vulnerable to Divine Power.

Though they were called ancient memories, they were essentially ghost-like beings.

“Let’s go.”

I sat in the captain’s chair.

A basic steering wheel was installed—a far cry from the control stick I preferred.

I made a mental note to replace it later as I took manual control.

A massive magical ship?

Sure, it was supposed to be slow.

Its top speed was only 60 kilometers per hour?

Dumping all my traits into it made that complaint vanish in an instant.

[Driving] [Riding] [Unity]

[Piloting] [Empathic Vision] [Focus]

GRRRRRR!

Skidbladnir roared.

Accelerating rapidly, it shot forward like a roller coaster at an amusement park.

The warriors standing and sitting casually on the deck stumbled, nearly losing their balance.

“Whoa!”

“Why is it so fast?”

“Guardian! What have you done?”

I ignored them and kept going.

It felt like I was piloting a whale swimming through the sky.

We descended rapidly toward the nearest frost giant army.

A steep dive.

The massive horde of giants, which had looked like tiny ants from afar, grew larger and larger.

The magical screen at the front of the bridge filled with the grotesque blue faces of the frost giants.

“Brace for impact!”

“Gah!”

“This is insane! Absolutely insane!”

“Damn it! He’s completely nuts! And that’s exactly why I like him!”

“Right! Warriors, descendants of Odin, servants of Thor! When else will we get a chance for a raid like this? Kill them all!”

“To hell with it! Let’s do this!”

BOOOOOOOM!

The massive ship crushed the army of giants beneath it.

A magical vessel straight out of myth.

A top-tier mount and an SSR-grade artifact, even in the game.

Its durability was equally mythical.

Not a single scratch marred the hull, but the giants below were in complete disarray.

Broken limbs were the least of their worries.

Cracked skulls, fractured necks, and tongues hanging lifelessly out of their mouths.

In just one sweep, dozens of giants were annihilated.

Truly, no opponent is easier than one vastly outclassed in size.

“Guhhh!”

“Kraaaah!”

The giants weren’t about to just roll over and die, though.

They grabbed hold of Skidbladnir as it plowed through the earth, smashing the ground underfoot.

Some began climbing the ship, digging their hands into its sides like makeshift walls.

As frost giants, they had the ability to freeze and melt their palms at will, helping them ascend to the deck.

I stepped away from the captain’s chair, grabbing Mjolnir.

“Red, I’ll take care of the giants. Pull away at full speed.”

[Understood, Master!]

“Finally, it’s our turn!”

“We’ve been waiting for this!”

The warriors cheered and poured out onto the deck alongside me.

Defending the entire expansive deck was nearly impossible, so I shouted toward the bridge.

“Shrink it to destroyer size!”

[Yes, Master!]

Skidbladnir began folding in on itself, compacting to a smaller form.

It shrank to about the size of a King Sejong-class destroyer.

The bridge remained its original size to accommodate the Red Cougar, but this was manageable.

I dashed across the deck, slaughtering frost giants as I went.

One fell with a single sword slash, another with a swing of Mjolnir.

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

And of course, there was gunfire.

Against low-tier enemies, there’s nothing more convenient than a gun.

[Gunslinger] [Divine Power] [Black Flame]

[Aim] [Shoot] [Barrage]

A rifle would have been ideal, but a shotgun worked well enough.

With the addition of spirit bullet properties, it was plenty effective.

Divine Power, black flames, and spirit bullets rained down on the ghost-like memories of the giants.

If any could withstand it, I’d like to see them try.

“Gaaah!”

“Graaaah!”

“Urghhhh!”

With each pained scream, the giants disintegrated into clouds of soul dust.

I could feel astonished gazes from the warriors around me.

What are you staring at?

After shooting the last giant dead, I headed back to the bridge.

“We’re pulling out. Hold on tight!”

“Damn it!”

“What’s with this crazy Asian?”

“He’s more of a Nordic berserker than any of us!”

“Hold on!”

Rumble!

Skidbladnir surged upward, twisting and climbing.

A few giants clung desperately to the ship, but they couldn’t hold on for long.

In mere moments, the ship soared so high it almost touched the mana auroras, then abruptly changed direction.

Once again, it hurtled toward the ground.

Boom! Crash!

It plowed through the earth like a farmer tilling fields.

Giants were flattened in its wake.

The disorganized giant army had no chance of holding out.

There were a few close calls, though.

Some giants had prepared for our charge and attempted a coordinated assault.

But neither I nor the other superhumans were easy prey.

The giants who climbed onto the deck and those clinging to the sides of the ship all ended up as clouds of soul dust.

I ran back and forth across the deck, cutting down giants wherever I found them.

‘The efficiency here sucks.’

If these were real giants, I’d have made a fortune.

The loot dropped by actual giants would’ve been worth a king’s ransom.

But the ancient memories left behind nothing but soul dust.

At best, they occasionally dropped magical equipment.

Since finding the acceleration ring, I’d only managed to collect a few gold bars, some herbs, and a handful of unidentified animal hides.

I had no idea how long we’d been fighting.

On this sunless, timeless battlefield, day and night were indistinguishable.

By the time my mouth tasted like iron and I’d downed several bottles of the stimulants the warriors had brought, the world suddenly grew bright.

“Brother! The sun has risen!”

Sigmund’s shout pulled my attention.

Instinctively, I turned to the eastern sky.

A golden sun, as round as a platter, was rising calmly over the horizon.

And chasing it was an enormous wolf.

“It’s Skoll! That’s Skoll!”

“We have to catch it!”

“Brother! If we outrun that beast and seize the sun, today’s battle will end!”

Catch Skoll?

I quickly grabbed the wheel.

I yanked it so hard the ship tilted, accelerating as much as it could, but it wasn’t enough.

Both the sun and Skoll were distant shadows on the horizon.

“Damn it!”

“We’re too slow!”

“Brother, how about chasing it in your sports car?”

“That won’t work. It’s a trap.”

This wasn’t a simple race.

I’d experienced this as a mini-game in the game.

The outcome depended on which vehicle you used to chase Skoll.

A flying car? Unless it was as sturdy as an armored vehicle, Skoll would ram it to pieces.

Skidbladnir was the better choice.

I gripped the wheel and took a deep breath, carefully selecting my traits.

[Unity]

This would be my core trait.

I discarded driving and riding altogether.

The effect of [Unity] was simple: it allowed me to project my traits and abilities onto my vehicle.

For pure speed, bypassing the ship’s innate power and applying my own traits was the way to go.

[Grand Assault] [Swiftness] [Sprint]

[Mobility] [Mana Explosion]

One more thing.

I swapped out the Prophet’s Ring for the Ring of Acceleration.

Projecting all my traits onto Skidbladnir, I felt an immediate response.

Rumble!

The massive aircraft carrier-sized vessel began to contort as if it were about to break apart, unleashing an overwhelming surge of mana.

The warriors clung to the walls for dear life.

Sigmund’s face turned pale as he shouted.

“What now? What are you trying to do this time?”

“Hold on tight!”

“Damn it! If I ever go on another expedition with you, I’m no longer a Nordic warrior—I’ll be a cowardly Greek!”

BOOM!

Mana exploded from the ship, propelling it forward.

It had no engines, but it slid across the ice like a massive glacier crashing through everything in its path.

The atmosphere groaned, and the mana auroras tore apart wildly.

“Grr?”

The monstrous wolf chasing the sun turned to look back.

It wasn’t fully materialized, just a faint shadow.

But the ferocity in its bloodshot eyes, the crimson malice blazing within, was unmistakably real.

In an instant, I caught up to it.

The massive wolf and the giant magical ship were now running side by side.

In just a few more seconds, we would overtake it.

The light in Skoll’s eyes grew more ferocious, a predatory gleam sharpening with every second.

Watching it, I began to count silently in my head.

‘Three, two, one… now!’

I switched my traits with nothing more than a thought.

[Unity] [Iron Body] [Close-Combat Mastery]

[Defense] [Mana Shield] [Mana Armor]

At that exact moment, Skoll lunged.

The mountain-sized wolf threw its entire weight at Skidbladnir.

Boom!

A violent impact shook the ship.

It felt as if I had personally taken the blow—my whole body ached.

But I could endure it.

Even Sigmund and Hjordis were completely fine.

In fact, they were so unaffected they had confused expressions, as if wondering if it was all just a weak bump from a bumper car.

“What? That’s it? That’s all it’s got?”

“As expected of Skidbladnir! The ship of the gods!”

“Truly impressive, truly.”

They were mistaken.

It wasn’t the ship that was extraordinary—it was me.

[Unity] [Giant’s Strength] [One-Man Army]

[Close-Combat Mastery] [Grand Assault] [Charge]

Now it was my turn.

As soon as I caught my breath, I yanked the wheel hard to the side.

Mana erupted in a fierce torrent, stacking the effects of Grand Assault and Charge simultaneously.

Using that force as propulsion, I slammed into Skoll.

“Kiiekekkeng!”

The wolf let out a wretched cry, recoiling from the impact.

Skoll stumbled, falling behind.

It quickly regained its senses and began scrambling to catch up, but it was too late.

With another swift trait swap, I pushed Skidbladnir even further ahead, widening the gap.

“Finally!”

“At last!”

By now, the battle on the ground had long since ended.

The sun, the final prize of today’s war, was now within our reach.

“I seek Thor’s strength! Grant me the moment when Thor lifted Jormungandr!”

“I need Tyr’s justice! Let me have it from the moment Tyr lost his arm to Fenrir!”

“Tsk tsk, amateurs. A true warrior needs a fine weapon. Give me the day Freyr sat on Odin’s throne!”

“Me? I have no clue, so pick whatever you want.”

Finally, we caught up to the sun.

Shatter!

The sun broke apart like fragile glass.

“Awooo!”

A haunting wolf’s howl echoed faintly.

The world split apart.

Like a spiderweb cracking, scenes from myth unraveled and scattered in chaotic displays.

The giant Ymir.

The gods of Asgard.

The various races flourishing across the Nine Realms.

Odin, Tyr, Thor, Freyr, Freyja, Frigg, Loki, Baldr, and the three Norns of destiny—countless divine figures appeared.

The warriors shouted the names of the gods as they leapt from the ship.

“Odin Almighty!”

“To Valhalla!”

“Heimdall calls to me!”

They dived into the memories of myth.

Would they find what they were seeking? Who knows?

The loot here was all determined by gacha mechanics, after all.

“Brother! I’ll use the rune!”

Sigmund tossed the painting into the air.

The scroll unfurled, freezing a scene in midair like a window into another world.

Frigg cradling the infant Baldr as she traversed the world.

The adult Baldr, pierced by mistletoe, bleeding as he fell.

Rumble, rumble.

Skidbladnir shook uneasily.

The memories were fading, growing blurry.

There wasn’t much time left.

Soon, everything would vanish completely.

The Vigrid Plains, which had replayed these memories, would return to being an ordinary polar wasteland.

Crack! Crackle!

We barely made it.

Sigmund and Hjordis dashed toward the now half-transparent gods, while I sprinted toward the fallen Baldr.

I reached out with all my might, my fingers just brushing against the faint figure of Baldr, his scattered blood, and the flowers blooming in the bloody trail, just as they were about to evaporate completely.

“Ow, damn it!”

It truly was a razor-thin margin.

If I’d been even a second late, I would’ve gone home empty-handed.

But why the hell do my fingers hurt?

Curious, I glanced at my hand.

The first thing that caught my eye was a single flower.

[Mistilteinn’s Regret]

And next to it, a small leaf pierced into my flesh.

It had gone straight through my iron-like fist, even after multiple rounds of bodily reconstruction that had made my skin tougher than monster hides.

[Mistilteinn’s Godslayer]

An incredibly rare consumable that, in the game, had only a 1% drop rate and was nearly impossible to see without premium gacha.

Its function was simple: negate invincibility.

I clenched my fist instinctively.

I couldn’t help but think of a certain raid boss and villain—one that caused absolute chaos but had yet to be taken down.

–TL Notes–

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