NOVEL NEXT Side Story Chapter 112 - Trait Gacha (2)
Side Story Chapter 112 - Trait Gacha (2)
[You have acquired the Trait【Tentacle Expansion (Rank: C)】!]
A blue message window with contents Oh Kang-Woo wanted to believe was Eve’s prank popped up in front of him.
“WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!!” Kang-Woo twisted and turned as he pulled on his hair. “WHY AM I THE ONLY UNLUCKY ONE?!!”
He had pulled the most useless and disgusting Trait out of everything he could have gotten. He was pushing it a little with the SSS-rank Trait, but this was crossing the line.
“Shit.”
Riiing!
[You weren’t desperate enough—]
“Shut up.” Kang-Woo swiped away Eve’s message window. “Haaa.”
‘I would’ve awakened a Trait for someone else if I knew this would happen.’
He pulled on his hair again, thinking the same way as people addicted to gacha.
“Well... I guess I’ll try it out at least.”
It could have a useful side like Astral Projection which Kang-Woo had thought was useless.
“Summon... Tentacles.”
Kang-Woo used the skill he had acquired when he devoured the Parasite King a while ago, and never used.
Squelch.
Tentacles dripping with tar-like mucus sprouted from him.
“Urghhh.”
He was about to puke just from staring at the squirming tentacles.
‘At least they’re black.’.
Kang-Woo would have canceled the summoning if they were green like Lilith’s. He frowned as he stared at the squirming tentacles.
‘Tentacle Expansion.’
He activated the technique of which its instructions flowed into his brain the moment he acquired the Trait.
Krrrrrk! Squelch!
“Holy fucking Jesus.”
The summoned black tentacles trembled and began to swell rapidly. The forearm-width tentacles expanded to the width of a thigh and then to that of an adult man’s waist.
“Urpp!”
Kang-Woo wanted to cancel the skill right then and there but suppressed the urge to vomit with all his might to test the black tentacles’ destructive power.
‘I guess I can test it... on my left arm.’
Harming oneself to test the power of a skill was crazy, but it was the most surefire method. Not only that, but any wounds he suffered would instantly regenerate.
Squelch! Crunch—!!
“Kurgh.”
The black tentacles wrapped around Kang-Woo’s left arm and violently squeezed it. He compared the tentacles he used the Tentacle Expansion on with the normal tentacles.
“Shit...” Kang-Woo stared in dejection at his left arm, which had turned to mush. “Why the fuck is it so strong...?”
The tentacles were far stronger than Kang-Woo expected, likely because they were made with the demonic energy of the Abyss. The freely moving tentacles were honestly much stronger than the Authority of Blades he frequently used. Not only that, but the tentacles grew exponentially stronger if Tentacle Expansion was cast on them.
‘This is only a C-rank Trait?’
Considering the strength of the tentacles, it was no exaggeration to compare it with an S-rank Trait or higher.
“But of course, no matter how strong it is, I won’t use it.”
[Ah! You’re going to leave such an amazing Trait to rot?]
“Shut it.”
The Flames of Voracity were far stronger than these disgusting tentacles.
[Why don’t you wrap the tentacles with the Flames of Voracity?]
“Huh...?”
‘Wait a second.’
“No!! Wait a second, my ass!!!”
‘I won’t use it!!! I won’t use tentacles!!! I’d rather use the Authority of Blades and get my head blown off than use these goddamn tentacles!!’
[But you said the tentacles were stronger than the Authority of Blades.]
“They are, but they have a critical flaw.”
[What flaw?]
“They’re not badass.”
[...]
A message window with just ellipses appeared as if Eve was dumbfounded.
“What? Badassery is a serious matter. Anyway, hard pass on the tentacles. Get ready to pull the next Trait.”
[Muehehehehehe. Please get ready to do that desperation dance aga—]
“I’m not doing that shit.”
His hype was killed the moment he pulled Tentacle Expansion. He was doubtful that he would even get the SSS-rank Trait now.
[You’ve only pulled twice.]
“It’s not like I can buy packages and pull hundreds of times like in a mobile game.”
[That’s true.]
Kang-Woo wasn’t sure how the probability worked, but he would likely not get the SSS-rank Trait with the remaining pull.
“Spin it.”
[Yes, sir!!]
Brrrrrrrrr!!
The roulette spun again.
“Please...!”
Kang-Woo thought he had given up, but the sliver of hope returned as he watched the roulette spinning. He stared at it anxiously.
Tick, tick, tick.
The spinning roulette slowed down and stopped.
Riiing!
[You have acquired the Trait【Usurpation of Flame (Rank: B)】!]
“Goddammit.” Kang-Woo clicked his tongue in exasperation as he checked the Trait’s rank before he read the description. “I should’ve known... Yeah, forget the SSS-rank Trait.”
Kang-Woo was the best in terms of having no luck. There was no way in hell he would pull the SSS-rank Trait.
“But at least it sounds normal this time.”
Kang-Woo clicked the Usurpation of Flame Trait and checked its description.
【Usurpation of Flame (Rank: B)】
Effect: The Player can condense and ignite any fire-type skills in a weapon. However, the weapon’s durability will be significantly reduced.
The Trait’s description was as simple as its average rank.
“By fire-type skills... do the Flames of Voracity count?”
The Flames of Voracity were not ordinary flames. They were closer to a manifestation of his Deific Essence and a modification of the Authority of Predation.
‘Because lacerations form instead of burns from the Flames of Voracity.’
However, it was not completely unrelated to fire since it had the form of fire.
“I guess I’ll give it a try.”
Kang-Woo created a regular sword with the Authority of Blades and grabbed it.
‘Usurpation of Flame.’
He activated the Trait in his head and focused.
Fwoosh—!!!
Gold and black flames like that of a black sun enveloped the black blade— no, they weren’t just enveloping it.
“It’s... condensed.”
Kang-Woo looked down at the sword in his hand in disbelief. He could feel the Flames of Voracity, covered in sharp teeth, raging in a condensed form. The Usurpation of Flame Trait had applied to the Flames of Voracity.
“Fuck yeah...!!” Sparks ran throughout Kang-Woo’s body. He pumped his fists into the air and shouted, “H-HOLY FUCK!!! HOLY FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!”
His eyes rolled backward, and he opened his mouth wide. He reflexively tried to pull down his pants but realized he had already taken them off a while ago. Having no choice, he pulled down his underwear instead.
“WRYYYYYYYYYYYYY!! THIS IS INSANE!!! INSANE, I TELL YOU!!!”
Kang-Woo had wrapped himself with the Flames of Voracity, turned himself into the Flames of Voracity, and spread the Flames of Voracity to his surroundings. However, he had not been able to condense the Flames of Voracity to amplify their power until now.
‘But it was made possible by a B-rank Trait?’
It was likely not thanks to just the Trait’s effects; a mere B-rank Trait could never control the Flames of Voracity.
‘It probably just instructed me how to do it.’
In other words, Kang-Woo could condense the Flames of Voracity all along, and the Usurpation of Flame Trait provided him with the theory and method of how. To make a comparison, it was like a bird being taught how to fly despite already having wings.
“KAAAAAAAHHH!! THIS IS IT!!! IT’S ONLY NATURAL I GET THIS LUCKY AFTER DOING ALL THAT DESPERATION SHIT!!”
It was a jackpot nonetheless since Kang-Woo would never have known how to condense the Flames of Voracity without the Trait.
“Alright, let’s test how much I can condense it.”
Kang-Woo infused a little more Flames of Voracity into the sword, full of anticipation.
Crack! Shatter!
“Eh?”
The black blade cracked and shattered only after infusing some more Flames of Voracity and condensing them. It was only then he remembered the Trait’s description.
[However, the weapon’s durability will be significantly reduced.]
“Shit, so that’s what it meant.” Kang-Woo frowned. “Mmm... In that case.”
Kang-Woo infused far more demonic energy of the Abyss than necessary into the Authority of Blades to strengthen it.
“This should be enough.”
Kang-Woo gripped the black blade he created with fifty times more demonic energy than usual. He used the Usurpation of Flame Trait to condense the Flames of Voracity into the blade.
Crack—!!!
“Huh?”
It certainly lasted longer than before, but the black blade shattered after not even five seconds.
“What the fuck?”
He wouldn’t be able to condense the flames this way. It would be manageable if he drastically reduced the amount of flames he condensed but that defeated its purpose.
“Nah, there’s no way...”
Kang-Woo's expression hardened. He took out a Hell Armament from the Demonic Sea— it was Wrath, Satan’s weapon.
“This is the weapon of Satan, the Prince of Wrath, and death himself—”
Crack! Shatter!
“SATAN, YOU USELESS MOTHERFUCKER!!!”
Not even a prince’s weapon worked. Any weapon he condensed the Flames of Voracity into shattered as if he were smashing glasswork into the ground.
“I CAN CONDENSE IT BUT IT DOESN’T LAAAAAAAAST—!!!”
[come back to this]
Kang-Woo shed tears of blood as he stared at the shattered weapons, unable to handle the Flames of Voracity’s power.
[Sir Guardian Deity! The tentacles! Try it on the tentacles!!]
“FUCK!!!”
Kang-Woo summoned the black tentacles and condensed the flames into them just in case.
Squelch—!!! Splash—!!!
“FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!”
The black tentacles couldn’t handle the Flames of Voracity either and burst, covering the entire room in sticky black mucus.
“WHAT THE FUUUUUUCK?! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO FUCKING DO WITH THIS?!!” Kang-Woo screamed as he pulled on his hair.
He was going even more insane since he couldn’t use something extraordinary he just discovered he could do. He would’ve been better off never knowing he could do it.
“Huh...? Wait a second.”
Just then, Kang-Woo thought of something. He turned to the dark blue sword placed on top of the bags filled with relics. He recalled Midir’s status window he had read when he got the sword.
[This item cannot be destroyed by physical or spiritual means.]
“Could it be...?”
Kang-Woo carefully grabbed Midir and imbued the Flames of Voracity with it. He activated the Usurpation of Flame Trait and the flames wrapped around Midir’s blade like a snake.
‘Please.’
Kang-Woo anxiously bit his lip as he looked down at Midir. If even Midir was destroyed, the trouble he went through to get the ten-star relic would have been for nothing.
‘Please—!’
Kang-Woo shut his eyes tightly and condensed the Flames of Voracity into Midir’s blade.
Fwoosh—!!
“Huh...?”
The condensed Flames of Voracity wrapped the surface of Midir’s edge and blazed fiercely. He added more flames to the blade and condensed them.
Rumble—!!!
The immense power emitted from Midir after condensing the Flames of Voracity shook his room protected by a barrier so powerfully that it could collapse at any moment.
“I-It worked.”
Midir was completely fine even with the Flames of Voracity condensed into it.
“IT WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORKED!!!”
Dangle, dangle.
Kang-Woo danced alone in his room as he cheered.
“WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY—”
Clack.
“Kang-Woo, we’re done washing up—”
Just then, Kang-Woo locked eyes with Han Seol-Ah who entered the room.
“Huh...?”
A deathly silence fell in the room. Seol-Ah’s gaze gradually headed down.
“Kyaaaaahhh!! Kang-Woo!! What are you doing with your pants off?!”
Creak, slam!
She quickly closed the door with her still in the room.
“Huh? Wait a second, shouldn’t it be the opposite?”
‘Why are you coming in?’
“Hehehe~?”
Click.
The door locked.