Trait Hoarder

Gunslinger Ruins – Part 2

Seo Woojin was visibly flustered.

“Uh… wait, hold on. Did you just say you’re the king?”

[That’s right.]

“Uh-huh… but, you see, Joseon…”

What was he even trying to explain?

To a magic spirit, no less.

“Hello, King Jeongjo.”

[I do know that my posthumous title is Jeongjo, but hearing you call me that feels a bit off. Could you address me differently?]

[That’s much better.]

I casually sat down in front of the middle-aged man—Jeongjo.

Seo Woojin hesitated for a moment before following suit.

Jeongjo chuckled heartily.

[Hah! Humans these days have no respect for their ancestors.]

“Well, Your Majesty isn’t exactly my ancestor.”

Seo Woojin glanced at Jeongjo, then leaned toward me and whispered.

“Sir, is he really King Jeongjo? That Jeongjo?”

“Yeah. Haven’t you seen his magical portrait? It’s an exact match.”

“Well, yeah, but… he’s been dead for ages.”

“He’s a magic spirit.”

“…Excuse me?”

“He’s the dungeon administrator. They copied Jeongjo’s personality and implanted it here. He’s not actually the Jeongjo.”

Jeongjo smirked bitterly.

[Back in my day, even a magic spirit was treated with proper respect. You modern folk are terribly rude.]

“A spirit is just a spirit. If you don’t like it, try coming back to life.”

[Hahaha. Your tongue is as sharp as your shooting.]

“I could say the same for Your Majesty.”

[Hmm? Ah… that damn Sim. I should have dealt with him properly. I didn’t think my letters would be famous even in later generations.]

“What are you talking about?”

Seo Woojin was completely lost in the conversation.

This guy knew a lot, but he was also strangely ignorant about certain things.

King Jeongjo was infamous for his sharp tongue.

One only needed to read his secret letters to Left State Councillor Sim Hwanji to understand.

The sheer variety of insults he had used was remarkable.

Whether in the real world or in this one, Jeongjo’s skill in verbal warfare remained unchanged.

I studied Jeongjo’s sunglasses carefully.

“You seem to know a lot despite being sealed here.”

[Heh. Of course. Why? Do you want them? If you do, I could give them to you.]

“I’ll pass.”

Those sunglasses contained an advanced sensory trait.

[Clairvoyance].

This magic spirit of Jeongjo had spent over two hundred years here, using them to peek into the real world.

And yet, he didn’t seem upset.

Even though he must have witnessed the fall of Joseon, the colonial period, the division of Korea, and the Korean War.

Of course, he wouldn’t be.

This wasn’t the real Jeongjo.

Just a magic spirit infused with his copied personality.

A mere dungeon administrator.

“Just give me the gun.”

[Hmm, should I?]

Jeongjo straightened his posture.

Then, he drew the firearms strapped to his body—one from his arm, one from his back, and one from his waist.

Three antique guns.

Each one a masterpiece.

The frames were made of pure silver.

Inlaid with celestial gold, embedded with magic gemstones like constellations.

The stocks, seemingly carved from solid ivory, gleamed a soft, milky white.

“Wow…”

Seo Woojin let out an awed gasp.

Jeongjo casually tossed the three guns into the air.

They vanished, leaving behind only their outlines.

Shimmering like starlight, connected by glowing lines.

True magic firearms—legendary relics.

Jeongjo gestured at the constellation-like guns.

[Choose one. You may take only a single firearm.]

I activated [Keen Eyes] and examined them.

Not that I really needed to.

I already knew what they were.

[Invincible Gun]

[Magic Bullet Sniper]

[Mastery of the Gun]

If this were the game, these traits would have been displayed exactly like that.

“Can I pick one too?”

Seo Woojin asked.

Jeongjo scoffed.

[Do you think so? These were created for gunslingers. Dasan and I barely managed to forge them together. Sword wielders like you can get lost.]

“L-Lost? Your Majesty, you have quite the foul mouth.”

[Hahaha.]

Jeongjo laughed it off.

If Seo Woojin ever read Jeongjo’s Royal Letters, he’d be completely horrified.

But this wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

What mattered was choosing one of these three traits.

Ideally, I’d take them all.

But unfortunately, these traits were mutually exclusive.

Once I chose one, I would never be able to select the others—no matter what.

Even premium items wouldn’t allow me to change my choice.

[Invincible Gun].

A trait specialized for close-quarters combat. Perfect for dual-wielding pistols.

[Magic Bullet Sniper].

Do I even need to explain? The ultimate sniper trait.

[Mastery of the Gun].

Comparable to the [Master of the Sword], this trait applied to all firearms.

Honestly, I had been contemplating my choice even before coming here.

Now that I was standing in front of them, my decision was even clearer.

I reached out and pointed at the pistol.

“I’ll take that one.”

[Hmm? Are you serious?]

Jeongjo looked surprised.

[My recommendation would be this one.]

He tapped the long rifle lightly.

Sleek, beautifully designed, with an elongated barrel that was particularly captivating.

[I saw how you wielded all five of Dasan’s guns earlier. That means this would suit you best. I imbued this rifle with Mastery of the Gun. It greatly amplifies the unique abilities of firearms and pushes a gunslinger’s skills to their absolute limit. It’s perfect for you.]

I knew that.

That’s why I had hesitated.

The combination of the Dasan Guns and Mastery of the Gun was, without exaggeration, utterly broken.

But there was a problem.

I was a gunslinger.

But I wasn’t just a gunslinger.

At lower levels, guns had been my main weapon.

With them, I had ambushed Roe Deer and wiped out the Dagger Gang.

But now?

They were merely secondary weapons.

Useful for debuffing high-level enemies. Convenient for massacring low-level opponents.

But that was it.

My true power lay in my sword.

The Three Great Sword Arts I was steadily building—that was my ultimate weapon.

That meant my choice was clear.

“I’ll take Invincible Gun.”

[Hah…]

Jeongjo looked utterly dumbfounded.

[You already knew everything before coming here, didn’t you? Did Dasan leave you some kind of record?]

“Something like that.”

[Tch. That guy was so indifferent. When I was alive, I had to pour ten kegs of fine liquor into him just to get him to work. But after I died, he became even more diligent.]

Jeongjo grumbled as he pushed the pistol toward me.

The starlit gun, glowing blue, drifted toward me.

Straight into my heart.

Straight into my mana circuits.

I opened myself fully to accept the trait.

Fwoosh!

A brilliant flash of light.

It felt similar to when I acquired [Master of the Sword].

In my mind, two pistols settled into place.

Crossed over each other, swirling with wisps of gunpowder smoke.

At least this time was better than before.

No internal injuries. No coughing up blood.

The dungeon itself was shouldering the burden of causality, mana, and enlightenment.

Hoo…

I let out a long breath.

Then, I drew my guns.

Holding them in both hands, I used [Grand Assault] to leap backward.

Spinning mid-air, I unleashed a rapid-fire barrage.

Tat tat tat tat tat tat!

Hundreds of bullets poured out in an instant.

Reload?

Unnecessary.

When my bullets ran out, my mana automatically generated new ones.

Of course, the mana cost was high.

But it was worth it.

Because right now, my firepower was on par with a heavy machine gun.

‘Not bad.’

This was why it was called [Invincible Gun].

Each top-tier Gunslinger trait came with a unique ability.

[Magic Bullet]—the strongest single-shot attack.

[Mastery of the Gun]—amplifying the unique abilities of each firearm.

And then, [Invincible]—overwhelming firepower in an instant.

But do you know what was even scarier?

It could be used with [Phasing].

Normally, when in [Phasing], attacks couldn’t be performed.

But a few select traits allowed exceptions.

And one of them was [Invincible Gun].

[How is it?]

Jeongjo asked, looking satisfied.

[With this, won’t you be able to defeat a Swordmaster?]

“…Excuse me? A Swordmaster?”

What kind of nonsense was this?

I shot him an incredulous look, and Jeongjo spoke seriously.

[There’s a reason Dasan and I combined our efforts. Strengthening the nation was my lifelong goal. And to achieve that, I chose guns. Joseon was a small country, and neither the Wae we fought nor Qing, whom we served as our suzerain, could be defeated through traditional warfare.]

It wasn’t the wrong approach.

At lower levels, guns easily outclassed swords.

But at higher levels…

At Level 5 and beyond—especially at Level 7, when [Master of the Sword] emerged…

[After extensive research, we were able to actualize the potential of firearms. It’s a shame you didn’t choose [Mastery of the Gun]. With it, you could have definitely defeated a Swordmaster. My dream has always been for guns to surpass swords.]

“That’s impossible.”

[What? What did you just say?]

“It’s impossible. At Level 5 and beyond, assuming equal conditions, a gunslinger cannot defeat a sword wielder.”

[Tch! If you had [Mastery of the Gun], it would be possible! No—[Invincible Gun] should be enough too! Of course!]

“I’ll say it again. It’s not possible.”

Jeongjo’s mood visibly soured.

His face turned red, then pale.

His lips twitched as if he were holding back a string of curses.

He was barely restraining himself, but anyone could tell he was on the verge of exploding.

Before he could, I moved first.

Slowly, I drew my sword.

[Ha! What do you think you’re doing? A gunslinger drawing a sword? For what?]

Even with [Clairvoyance] in his sunglasses, he didn’t know everything.

He knew his own posthumous title.

He casually used the term Swordmaster.

But he didn’t know who I was.

I focused my mind.

The sword trembled ever so slightly.

Then, I switched traits and infused my mana.

Fwoosh!

A powerful burst of sword energy erupted.

I didn’t even need [Nephilim Sword].

[Master of the Sword] was enough.

The Black Tiger Sword radiated a noble brilliance, reinforcing my words.

Jeongjo’s face twisted.

[Sword energy… Sword energy?!]

Then, as if he had seen a ghost, his complexion drained.

[A Swordmaster… and a Gunmaster?!]

Shock, disbelief, admiration.

His emotions were a chaotic mess.

For a long time, he just stared at me in stunned silence.

Then, he let out a hollow chuckle and shook his head.

[Your talent is beyond extraordinary. I always prided myself on being one of the smartest men of my time, but I’ve never seen talent like yours. Even Dasan couldn’t have been on your level. Wait, how old are you? You look young.]

“I’m twenty-three.”

[Twenty-three? Hahahaha. You’ve only just come of age? Hahahahaha!]

Jeongjo threw his head back and laughed.

It was a laugh filled with both disbelief and genuine joy.

[The heavens haven’t abandoned humanity! I was worried because of the turbulent fate of this world, but it seems my efforts weren’t entirely in vain!]

Jeongjo reached into the chest of his royal robe and tore off the embroidered dragon insignia.

Rip!

He waved it through the air a few times, and the fabric coalesced.

Forming a Golden Dragon Inkstone.

My eyes widened.

‘Why is that here?’

That was supposed to appear much later, after unlocking the Dokkaebi nation’s reputation system and grinding through countless dungeons.

[Do me a favor.]

Jeongjo handed me the inkstone.

[While holding this inkstone, defeat a Swordmaster using only firearms. If you succeed, a unique pattern will be engraved onto the inkstone. Once that happens, head to the Gyujanggak Library. You’ll find the hidden Royal Jeongjo Gun there.]

The Royal Jeongjo Gun.

The superior version of the Dasan Guns.

Each of the Dasan Guns was SR-grade individually, and when combined, they were treated as SSR-grade.

But the Royal Jeongjo Gun?

It was SSR-grade on its own.

One of the strongest weapons in existence, rivaling the Black Tiger Sword or Mjolnir.

“…Isn’t that a bit of an unreasonable request?”

[You’re already both a Swordmaster and a Gunmaster at Level 6. What’s so difficult about this? By the time you hit Level 7, it’ll be a breeze. And if it’s still too hard, just do it at Level 8. Whenever it happens, just make sure to take down a Swordmaster. Using only guns!]

No time limit, no level restriction? That was fine by me.

I thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright. I accept.”

[Hahaha! A wise decision! This is a masterpiece among masterpieces, a weapon that transcends eras! It will be of great help to your future!]

Jeongjo burst into hearty laughter.

But his body was already beginning to fade.

Like waves eroding a sandcastle.

[Ah… it seems my time is up.]

“It was an enjoyable experience, Your Majesty.”

[Enjoyable? You have quite the flippant tongue.]

“It was an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”

[At least your disciple has some manners. Here, take this!]

Jeongjo swung his hand.

A beam of magic light shot forward, piercing through Seo Woojin.

“Uh?! What—what are you doing?!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. This will be a great help.”

[Your disciple put in quite the effort earlier. It’s only right he gets something in return. It’s just a small gift.]

Seo Woojin had shattered plenty of magic crystals and endured the mana beams.

But his mana core and mana circuits hadn’t evolved.

That was simply because SSR-rank characters required more experience to progress.

Jeongjo had merely given his mana circuits a slight push.

Just enough to help the seed sprout.

With time, or perhaps some focused training—or even a bit of Diamond-fueled assistance—Seo Woojin’s mana core would evolve into a mana soul much faster than expected.

Of course, Seo Woojin had no idea about any of this.

But seeing my reaction, he assumed something good had happened and deeply bowed to Jeongjo.

“Thank you, King Jeongjo. When I return, I’ll offer you a drink at your shrine.”

[Just one drink?]

“…Pardon?”

“His Majesty enjoys drinking. At least ten full bottles of traditional soju, nothing less than 40% alcohol.”

“Wha—ten bottles? Not ten glasses?”

“Ten jars. No more, no less. Got it?”

[Hahahaha! You truly understand me! Giving you the inkstone was worth it!]

What an odd place to feel a sense of fulfillment.

Swoooosh.

Jeongjo’s form completely crumbled away.

His final words echoed from the scattering dust.

[I’ll be watching. Make those sword-wielders eat their pride! I’m counting on you!]

Asking a swordsman to humble other swordsmen…

I could only laugh bitterly.

Rumble.

The dungeon began collapsing.

Seo Woojin instinctively crouched down.

“Sir! Isn’t this dangerous?!”

“It’s fine. When we open our eyes, we’ll be at Changdeokgung.”

Just as expected.

By the time the crumbling dungeon faded from view and my senses realigned, we were already standing in front of the main gate of Changdeokgung.

It was broad daylight, meaning we were in full view of the public.

Without wasting a second, I activated Stealth and slipped away.

Once back at the mansion, I finally took some time to rest.

“Ugh… I feel like I’m dying…”

“Don’t get lazy. Start training right now. Squeeze out every bit of your mana. If you endure for just a few days, you’ll grow much stronger. From what I can tell, you’ll become as strong as you did back in the Dokkaebi realm.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Push your mana to the limit. You know what I mean, right?”

“Of course!”

Seo Woojin’s eyes gleamed with determination.

Despite being exhausted from staying up all night, he grabbed his sword and headed straight to the training hall.

I had work to do as well.

I met with Choi Sunsoo and Kim Chulkwon to check on the redevelopment progress and give them further instructions.

Then, I had a brief discussion with the mansion’s magic spirit.

“So, I need to retrieve the blueprint?”

[Yes. With my abilities alone, I cannot design a Level 7 Reconstruction Elixir. Just like before, obtaining a blueprint from a divine entity would be the best option.]

Everything was pushing me toward Greece.

Not just the blueprint but also Earth’s unique trait system—since those traits could only be acquired in Greece.

“Alright. I’ll go. I need to stop by the U.S. as well, so it’ll take some time.”

[Understood, Master. Please be careful on your journey.]

I activated the Red Cougar and set off.

Destination: Olympus.

Gaia was waiting for me.

–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!