Trait Plunderer – Episode 003
#3. BORN TO KILL (2)
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[Trait: The Mask Artisan of Tartarus (S+)]
[Passive: ???]
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Gang Jun’s new trait, 'The Mask Artisan of Tartarus'.
It was an S+-rank trait of the highest grade. However, the passive’s description was hidden.
If it was the passive of an S+-rank trait, it was bound to be quite powerful.
He had every right to be curious about its contents, but Gang Jun was preoccupied with his new skills.
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[Skill: Mask Crafting]
[Description: Creates a mask using a target’s trait as material.]
[Skill: Mask Art]
[Description: Wears a crafted mask to use the trait and skills inherent in the mask.]
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Superhumans acquired skills based on their traits.
The skills 'Mask Crafting' and 'Mask Art' were based on the trait 'The Mask Artisan of Tartarus'.
'Create masks using traits as materials, and use the traits and skills inherent in the masks…….'
Gang Jun chewed over the contents of the two skills.
'If my understanding is correct, I could sweep up S+-rank traits.'
He couldn’t fully grasp the skills from the unhelpful system’s explanations alone.
The best method was, as expected, to try using them directly.
'To think I can increase my traits—it really is a crazy skill.'
Traits were like the vessels of superhumans.
No matter how hard one tried, if the vessel was small, there was a limit to growth.
In that sense, the trait 'The Mask Artisan of Tartarus' was like infinitely expanding a superhuman’s limits.
Moreover, Gang Jun was more suited to this ability than anyone else.
He had assassinated numerous S-rank superhumans under Titan.
The most important thing in assassination was intel on the target.
'I know the traits of the ones I killed like the back of my hand.'
The faces of the superhumans he had killed surfaced vividly in his mind.
Among them were those who were already famous, as well as those who had yet to distinguish themselves.
If he could just find promising individuals beforehand, it would be no different from picking up S+-rank traits off the street.
'It feels like I’ve come to a well-prepared buffet…….'
Gang Jun checked the time and leisurely left his boarding house.
*
The Central Superhuman Administration Bureau.
It was the place that granted superhuman qualifications to newly Awakened individuals.
The first thing Awakened who came here did was trait measurement.
Clack.
Machines connected to Gang Jun’s four limbs and head.
It was a trait measuring device.
From appearance alone, it was a grotesque machine that looked like it could suck out a human’s soul.
However, there was no danger or pain whatsoever in confirming one’s traits.
"Huh…? Just a moment."
The official who checked the results tilted his head and restarted the machine.
"One S+-rank, one A-rank…… is that correct?"
The official asked Gang Jun as if he couldn’t believe it.
It wasn’t common to have two traits.
Maybe one in a thousand Awakened?
Moreover, the probability of having two traits with ranks of S+ and A was even lower.
So Gang Jun was truly born with tremendous talent.
"Yes."
"……Please go out to the underground gym."
The official glanced at Gang Jun with eyes mixed with bewilderment and envy.
Upon entering the gym, a bizarre sight unfolded.
A superhuman floating mid-air, unsure of what to do.
A superhuman running at high speed from one end of the gym to the other.
A superhuman struggling to spew out lighter-level fire from his mouth.
And before them sat several interviewers.
"You failed."
"Wh…… why?"
"You think you can fight monsters with lighter-level fire? Just use it to light cigarettes."
"……."
A heartbreaking scene of failure.
"Excuse me…… please get me down……!"
"Sigh, it’s your own ability; what can I do to get you down?!"
"I can’t contwol it eitheeeer……."
The woman floating in the air had an expression like she was about to burst into tears.
"My ability is, I can freely adjust the size of that thing over there. Shall I show you?!"
A lunatic.
"Begin."
"Click!"
"…… I said begin."
"I just took a shot of the bureau’s main gate though?"
Even a half-witted scammer…….
It was truly pandemonium.
The first test was an interview and ability demonstration.
Most Awakened with decent abilities passed.
"Gang Jun!"
Gang Jun stepped forward before the interviewer.
"You have two traits total—an S+-rank and an A-rank. Can you demonstrate both?"
Gang Jun’s first trait was 'Assassin'.
Attacks targeting humans were strengthened.
If he demonstrated this here, he’d end up in superhuman prison.
His second trait, 'The Mask Artisan of Tartarus'.
This, too, was impossible to prove.
"They're traits difficult to demonstrate. I’ll use this instead."
Instead of a demonstration, Gang Jun lifted a barbell prepared in the gym.
A barbell that was visibly impossible for an ordinary person to lift.
When the barbell was lifted, the bar bent greatly from the weight loaded on both sides.
Gang Jun was holding that barbell up with one hand, not two.
"……Pass. Take the documents and go to basement level 2."
*
The most important virtue for a superhuman was practical combat ability.
No matter how amazing one’s stats or skills were, without practical sense, one couldn’t gain recognition.
Therefore, the practical gateway to becoming a superhuman was the 'mock raid'.
If the first test was sifting pebbles among raw stones, the second test was distinguishing real raw stones from fake ones.
In the testing hall, the first group’s test was already underway.
"Dirt Ball!"
As the supporter shouted, seed-like objects were fired.
Goblins running from the other side of the cave couldn’t help but stop when hit by the seeds.
Thud!
Grrrk?!
The moment the seeds touched the goblins’ bodies, they burst like popcorn into piles of dirt, obstructing the goblins’ advance.
The ranged dealer didn’t miss that opening.
Fwoosh! Crunch!
Grrk…….
A mana arrow struck the struggling goblin’s forehead!
"Nice shot!"
"Three goblins up front!"
"It’s my turn this time."
A large man holding a hammer ran toward the goblins.
He swung the hammer over his head and began spinning round and round, soon rotating quickly like a top.
Whoosh!
Grrk!
Grrk?!
From the hammer’s destructive power, not just heads but arms and legs were severed.
The goblins were massacred without being able to put up much resistance.
[Group 1 mock raid complete. Gim Seonghwan contribution: 33%. Gim Yunhwan contribution: 15%…….]
The mock raid was conducted in groups of five.
The passing standard was raid success along with each individual’s raid contribution exceeding 10%.
It was a standard to prevent mass passing due to one person carrying.
Therefore, it was customary for applicants to coordinate in advance how they would divide contribution.
The appropriate distribution of contribution by position among superhumans…….
This was the common sight of the second test.
[I Jaeho’s contribution: 22%. All members pass…… Congratulations.]
"Nice……! Good work!"
"You’ve worked hard."
"Thank you!"
The passers-by exchanged greetings with smiles. A warm, harmonious atmosphere filled the air.
"Group 2 begins. Prepare yourselves."
Meanwhile, there was a group flowing with uncomfortable currents, the exact opposite of that group. It was Group 2, which Gang Jun belonged to.
"Um…… is it really okay to start like this without any plan?"
"I already told you. My ability is pretty sick. I’ll sweep them all out in the first wave, so you guys just clean up what’s left."
Gim Jihwan of Group 2 had an arrogant attitude.
The stiff atmosphere was all because of Gim Jihwan. Acting superior throughout, speaking in a manner that belittled group members.
It was a situation where the atmosphere couldn’t possibly be good.
"……What kind of plan is that? What if one of us can’t exceed 10%?"
One member who couldn’t endure it any longer showed discomfort.
However, Gim Jihwan didn’t care.
"Damn. I try to be considerate and you throw a fit……."
"What? Throw a fit?!"
Group 2 was on the verge of a fight.
"What? Can’t I say throw a fit? I was going to help you poor guys get some contribution……."
Gim Jihwan scrunched his face and browbeat the member.
"Help us my ass!"
"Calm down……. Don’t you know him? It’s Gim Jihwan."
"Wh…… what? Who is Gim Jihwan……? Ah."
The member who finally recognized Gim Jihwan hurriedly shut his mouth.
His pupils were shaking uncontrollably.
Gim Jihwan.
He was the grandson of the chairman of the conglomerate Eunseong Group.
And he was notorious in a bad way.
'Abuse of power.' 'Assault.' 'Drugs.'
These three words were enough to explain Gim Jihwan.
'No wonder he had no manners; it was that bastard.'
Not a day went by without incidents surrounding Gim Jihwan.
However, befitting a chaebol family’s son, he had never once been found guilty.
A mad dog of a chaebol family.
A diamond spoon living above the law.
That was Gim Jihwan.
"You were running your mouth well, so why so quiet? Am I a little scary now?"
Gim Jihwan grew even more arrogant and blabbered on.
The member who had briefly kept silent hesitated before unleashing a torrent of curses.
"……Damn it! You son of a bitch! Just because you’re a gold spoon, you think you can throw manners out the window?! I’ve got nothing to lose!"
The other members didn’t express it openly, but inwardly they were cheering for the man who was bursting with anger.
"Group 2. Please be quiet and enter."
At the official’s dry guidance, the members entered the mock dungeon huffing angrily.
"Useless pieces of trash with nothing but big mouths……. I’m taking 100% of the contribution, so go suck your thumbs in the corner."
"You think we’ll just stay still?! Let’s do this by skill! By skill! Let’s see who fails!"
"Who does he think he is, acting all high and mighty. Tsk tsk."
"He’s rich, not skilled."
The three group members were banding together.
"You street rats think you can beat me? I’m different from you from birth."
Nevertheless, Gim Jihwan was overflowing with confidence.
There was a reason for that.
'Money is everything in this world. With money, you can get anything.'
His stats were no longer at the level of a newly awakened superhuman.
He was confident he could subdue about 50 goblins alone.
The secret was money.
Immediately after awakening, he had bought CS with money and greatly increased his stats.
'I’ll trample them for all to see.'
Soon, a voice replacing the Cosmos System resounded throughout the hall.
[Welcome to the mock raid.]
[We will explain the raid conditions.]
[There are a total of 50 goblins in the dungeon.]
[Success is achieved by eliminating all 50 goblins.]
[However, if an individual’s contribution is below 10%, that individual will fail, so please take note.]
[Furthermore, intentionally injuring or obstructing allies will also result in failure.]
[Contribution is calculated based on damage dealt to monsters and……]
Group 2’s theme was clear.
Competition, not cooperation.
Before anyone knew it, this place had become a stage for competition rather than a testing hall.
Grrrk!
Finally, the first goblin appeared before them.
Gim Jihwan was the first to react.
"Wh…… what’s so fast?!"
"Unbelievable……."
The members couldn’t help but be surprised at Gim Jihwan’s reaction speed.
Because it wasn’t at the level of someone who had just awakened.
"Hup!"
Gim Jihwan’s sword was raised high.
It was the moment the spender’s solo run was about to begin.
Shhk!
Grrk!
The goblin’s head was cleanly cut off.
"Hu…… huh?"
Gim Jihwan couldn’t help but be bewildered.
Because he wasn’t the one who killed the goblin.
'Someone surpassed me……?'
Clearly, Gim Jihwan was the one who reacted first and rushed in.
Yet the one who killed the goblin was Gang Jun, a man he didn’t even know was in the same group.
Gang Jun reacted later than Gim Jihwan yet reached the target faster.
"H…… how could you cut in like that?!"
Gim Jihwan couldn’t hide his confusion.
Gang Jun, on the other hand, had a calm expression.
"Isn’t it fine as long as it’s dead? You said we’d do this by skill."
"……."
Gim Jihwan and the members couldn’t close their mouths at Gang Jun’s skill, who had been silent until then.
"Hey, are you really someone who just awakened? How can you be faster than me……."
Gang Jun answered with a smirk.
"Didn’t you say it yourself? Some people are different from birth."
Gang Jun’s solo run was about to begin.