Chapter 348 – Part 2 – Trait Feast

Even after murdering thirteen people, Choi Seong-min didn’t bat an eye.

He had become numb to murder, but more importantly, there was a clear reason why they had to die.

‘If I don’t kill Song Chi-hyeon’s subordinates, I’ll die. At Kwak Min-cheol’s hands.’

If the subordinates carelessly revealed the fact that they killed Yang Baek-du, Choi Seong-min would be in danger instead.

‘Anyway, they’re all guys who worked under Song Chi-hyeon and aided in murder. They can’t be considered innocent.’

This was a war between the Great Heroes and Choi Seong-min anyway.

It was natural logic for the losing side to be devoured by the winning side.

How to utilize the lives of the defeated was up to the victor.

‘So there’s no need to feel guilt. It’s natural for the weak side to be devoured in war.’

Such thoughts tightly bound his loosened resolve.

Thinking of his family who would be annihilated by God, he had no time to be like this.

He had to grow quickly and kill the Great Heroes.

In that sense, Choi Seong-min’s murders weren’t meaningless.

He had gained 13 traits after all.

Choi Seong-min, who had returned to Song Chi-hyeon’s room, examined the traits.

[Trait – Growing Agility]

-Grade: S

-Description: Bonus agility is added as your rank increases. Agility bonuses stack.

F-rank or higher +20

E-rank or higher +30

D-rank or higher +50

C-rank or higher +100

B-rank or higher +200

A-rank or higher +400

S-rank or higher +800

He didn’t remember who he got it from.

But one thing was certain.

‘This is an insane trait.’

It was a trait that added agility according to rank, and befitting an S-rank trait, it was at a level that couldn’t be ignored.

‘Since I’m currently B-rank, if I add up all the lower ranks, it goes up by 400.’

Looking at his agility, it had definitely increased by 400.

‘When I become A-rank, an additional 400 will be added, and when I become S-rank, 800 more will be added as a bonus.’

In the end, if he reached S-rank, it meant he could receive a total agility bonus of 1,600.

‘This is no joke.’

The subsequent traits were also formidable.

[Trait – Advanced Agility Enhancement]

-Grade: A

-Description: Agility stat increases by 30%.

‘Agility increases by as much as 30%.’

For Choi Seong-min, an assassin, it was an incomparably good trait.

[Trait – Intimidation]

-Grade: A

-Description: Makes targets within a 50m radius tremble in fear. The higher the opponent’s combat power, the higher the probability of resistance. Has a 10-minute cooldown.

‘Area fear effect… This is also fraudulent?’

Although it wouldn’t work on targets with high combat power, if their combat power was low, he could easily gain the upper hand.

[Trait – Discerning Eyes]

-Grade: A

-Description: Can learn information about targets just by looking at them. What can be learned includes name, age, awakening status, rank, and combat power. For monsters, only name and combat power can be confirmed.

‘Is this a lower compatibility version of the old Weakness Detection?’

It was a similar but relatively inferior trait.

If he knew the name, the rest of the information could be found just by searching the rankings.

‘However, it would be useful to know the names of opponents I’m seeing for the first time.’

Moreover, if the opponent was lying about their name or their combat power hadn’t been updated, it could be used effectively.

‘It’s not a bad trait in that I can see actual combat power, not the combat power listed in the rankings.’

Though not completely satisfying, he wasn’t particularly disappointed.

There were many other traits that came in besides this.

[Trait – Overflowing Strength]

-Grade: S

-Description: Strength increases additionally by the amount of the health stat.

A trait obtained from Kang Chan-seong.

Befitting Song Chi-hyeon’s direct subordinate, the grade was S-rank.

‘Since my current health exceeds 1,600, the additional strength is also 1,600?’

Soon, when Choi Seong-min checked his stats, he couldn’t help but be surprised.

‘Strength increased by as much as 3,200…’

It had doubled beyond expectations.

It seemed to be thanks to the Mighty Strength trait that doubled strength.

The surprising thing wasn’t just this.

[Trait – Supreme Stealth Technique]

-Grade: S

-Description: When using stealth or invisibility, duration increases by 30 minutes and cooldown decreases by 30 minutes.

Additionally, when attacking after using stealth or invisibility, physical damage increases by 50%. However, for opponents with high combat power, only half (25%) is applied.

‘I got this kind of trait in my previous life too.’

What he got then was Advanced Stealth Technique, but this was not only S-rank but also Supreme level.

‘Advanced Stealth Technique was a 30% physical damage increase, but this is as much as 50%.’

The increased duration and decreased cooldown were also several times more.

‘This trait came from catching a cleaner, as expected… There was indeed a stealth-related trait.’

No wonder the cleaner’s stealth cooldown seemed short – it was because of this trait.

But Choi Seong-min, who was looking at the traits, had to show a surprised expression one after another.

‘There’s… one more Supreme Stealth Technique?’

The stealth technique trait that came in wasn’t just one.

It was an amazing situation where two identical traits had come in.

‘Come to think of it, there were two cleaners.’

It seemed both had Supreme Stealth Technique.

‘I don’t know where Song Chi-hyeon found such precious subordinates, but…’

What was certain was that he had gained tremendous benefits thanks to them.

‘What happens when there are two identical traits?’

Choi Seong-min immediately decided to test it and used stealth.

Swoosh-

[Remaining time: 65 minutes 5 seconds]

The duration, which had been about 5 minutes, had increased to a full hour.

Moreover.

Swoosh- Swoosh-

Even when he repeatedly released and used stealth, there were no restrictions.

The cooldown had disappeared.

‘The 1-hour cooldown disappeared due to the trait effect.’

That meant even if there were identical traits, they applied cumulatively.

‘Then what about the physical damage increase when attacking after stealth?’

It would have applied cumulatively, increasing physical damage by 100%.

Though he couldn’t confirm it immediately.

‘Even against opponents with high combat power, I can give half the effect, so it’s like a minimum 50% damage increase.’

50% was definitely not a number that could be ignored.

It meant combat power had increased by 1.5 times.

‘There’s no stealth cooldown either, so from now on I can enjoy damage increases by using stealth every time I attack.’

Since it was a physical damage increase rather than basic attack damage, it would apply to skills too.

He could truly expect tremendous combat power enhancement.

But there was a trait so good that it surpassed all these traits…

‘What’s this? Unbalanced Power?’

[Trait – Unbalanced Power]

-Grade: S

-Description: Can increase one stat by decreasing another stat. Stat exchange is possible in desired amounts in units of 10.

However, only two types of stats can be exchanged. Therefore, it’s impossible to concentrate three stats into one stat.

Has a 10-minute cooldown.

Stats increased through exchange are temporary stats, so they won’t be affected by other effects that change values.

The effect is immediately canceled if items are removed or stat changes occur.

Choi Seong-min, reading the description, couldn’t continue speaking.

Because the most needed trait for the current situation had appeared.

‘With this, I can reduce strength and increase agility.’

Choi Seong-min’s current strength was 6,781.

Compared to his agility of 3,058, it was an absurdly high number.

With the 2x strength trait plus the trait that added strength equal to health, it had become this high.

‘To have higher strength than agility… It’s embarrassing to call myself an assassin anywhere.’

But if he had the Unbalanced Power trait, he could adjust such unreasonable stats more efficiently.

‘Should I try it as a test? A 10-minute cooldown is on the short side.’

When he decided to use the trait, a message window appeared.

[Please state the stat to decrease, the amount to exchange, and the stat to increase, in order.]

‘Strength, 6,780, agility.’

It meant he would decrease strength by 6,780 and distribute it to agility.

‘Status window.’

-Name: Choi Seong-min (20 years old)

-Rank: B

-Combat Power: 250,079

-World Ranking: 4,190th

-Strength: 1, Health: 1,693

-Agility: 9,838, Magic Power: 102

-Traits: Interpretation(F), Hunter Slayer(EX), Stealth Detection(C), Dagger Mastery(B), Assassin(S), Counter(A), First Strike(B), Pack Instinct(A), Combat Sense(A), Rune Affinity(A), Sharp Blade(A), Maintaining Dignity(A), Minor Talent(D), Fierce Attack(S), Quick Step(C), Intermediate Resistance(C), Transcendence(A), Mighty Strength(S), VIP Assassination(S), Thought Reading(S), Overflowing Strength(S), Growing Agility(S), Advanced Agility Enhancement(A), Intimidation(A), Discerning Eyes(A), Supreme Stealth Technique(S), Supreme Stealth Technique(S), Unbalanced Power(S) and 5 others.

-Skills: Slash(B), Dagger Throw(B), Sprint(B), Throat Slash(B), Shadow Step(B), Stealth(B), Poison Crafting(B)

There was a change in stats.

‘Strength is 1 but agility approaches 10,000…’

He had gone all-in on agility, leaving only 1 strength.

Truly unbalanced stat distribution was possible.

‘Strength only slightly increases basic attack damage even if raised. For me as an assassin, agility is much more efficient even in terms of damage.’

Basic attacks could be covered to some extent with weapon damage alone.

If he could go all-in on agility, there was no reason to raise strength.

‘It would have been fraudulent if other stats also increased as agility increased, but that’s unfortunate.’

Since they were temporarily converted stats, they weren’t affected by other additional effects.

‘Still, it’s fraudulent though.’

One stat approaching 10,000?

Even S-rank hunters probably couldn’t do that.

‘Probably none of the existing Great Heroes have a single stat exceeding 10,000.’

Though there might be guys whose total stats exceed 10,000.

‘Even without properly enjoying the Pack Instinct effect, it’s this much… Amazing.’

There were no hunters around, but if there had been, he would have easily exceeded 10,000.

‘Anyway, Song Chi-hyeon had good subordinates.’

Since he mainly selected elites, the traits were all A-rank or S-rank.

It was a much more satisfying result than obtaining Song Chi-hyeon’s trait.

His potential combat power had probably increased by more than twice.

‘With this, most of the traits have been checked…’

All that remained was to wait for morning.

Choi Seong-min lay down on Song Chi-hyeon’s bed and tried to sleep.

Thinking of what was to come, he needed to conserve his strength.

From now on, he would be busy living Song Chi-hyeon’s life.

* * *

Kang Min-chan, the action leader of the rebel army, had to be surprised by the news Do Eun-jeong brought.

“Song Chi-hyeon is alive?”

“Yes…”

“When you last saw him, he was half-dead?”

“I thought so, but he was perfectly fine. Now that I think about it, his face was covered by a hood so I wasn’t sure…”

“Then what happened?”

“I probably mistook someone else for Song Chi-hyeon.”

“Was that it?”

Kang Min-chan made a regretful expression.

“What a shame. If Song Chi-hyeon had died, our long-cherished wish would have been one step closer.”

“Right…”

“See? What did I tell you? I said it was too early to conclude he was dead, right? There’s no way a Great Hero would die so easily to a mere assassin!”

Kang Min-chan, who had been nodding, looked at Do Eun-jeong.

Her shoulders were drooped, showing she was quite disappointed.

Clap clap-

Kang Min-chan clapped his hands to cheer her up.

“Are you going to keep looking like a wet mouse? Cheer up! It’s disappointing that Song Chi-hyeon didn’t die, but what can we do?”

“…”

She thought it was because of Song Chi-hyeon, but it wasn’t.

Actually, Do Eun-jeong was depressed because of Choi Seong-min.

‘If someone like junior Seong-min joined our organization, it would be a great help…’

The disappointment was as great as her expectations.

She thought a righteous person like Choi Seong-min would share her goals.

‘That’s why I tried to persuade him by revealing the organization’s identity…’

As could be seen, the recruitment had fallen through.

Do Eun-jeong glanced at Kang Min-chan.

If she told him she had revealed their identity to someone else, Kang Min-chan wouldn’t stay still.

‘He’d immediately try to eliminate junior Seong-min.’

That’s why Do Eun-jeong kept her lips tightly shut.

She planned not to say a word about anything related to Choi Seong-min.

Unless Choi Seong-min first broke his promise to keep the secret.

“But Eun-jeong. Who was the person trying to kill you then? And who was the black mask that suddenly appeared?”

“I don’t know that far either.”

The identities of the two people were unknown.

It wasn’t clear whether they were allies or enemies either.

But one thing was certain.

‘The black mask saved me.’

Do Eun-jeong felt gratitude toward the black mask.

Toward a man whose face she didn’t even know.