I Became a Disaster-Class Newbie by Stealing Abilities - Chapter 63

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 63. The Sovereign (2)
Boom-crack!!
Reverse Weather Change — a superior Trait that boasted 2.25 times greater power and speed than Weather Alteration.
For Gung-gi, who had surged forward with every ounce of strength, it became the worst possible move.
“Screeeee!”
Caught in the vortex, Gung-gi wailed in agony, shriek after shriek.
The world spun — forward, back, left, right.
Layers of defensive magic stripped away.
The varied energies that had poured from the beast’s tails vanished in an instant.
[Gung-gi has fallen into a Status Abnormality!]
Thud.
At last, the colossal predator crashed to the ground.
With both [Stun] and [Exhaustion] forcibly imposed, the creature wouldn’t be rampaging again for some time.
And then.
Ding!
A golden status window flickered.
‘Please.’
Joo-sang swallowed hard, watching the letters slowly materialize.
After investing this much effort, he desperately hoped something worthwhile would appear.
[You steal the Trait ‘Sosae-ang’!]
The result of three successive hunts.
Sosae-ang — an actual Trait now in hand.
‘Insane, insane, insane, insane!!!’
Not only had he consumed one of the core Traits, but he’d stolen a unique Trait rumored to be essentially impossible to take.
The result transcended excellence itself.
[Sosae-ang]
[Acquisition Difficulty: Unmeasurable]
[Description: Upon activation, the dignity of Sosae-ang is manifested. Stats and abilities adjust upward to match the target’s current circumstances, granting access to Sosae-ang’s unique powers and skills suited to the individual’s nature. (Mana consumption per second: 100)]
The third Trait after ‘666’ and ‘Legion’s Shield’.
With a total capacity of four Traits, he had only one slot remaining.
Originally he’d planned to fill the remaining two with damage reduction or reflection-type Traits, but….
The entire strategy would need drastic revision.
Not in a bad way — in an extraordinarily good way.
Simultaneously, he felt viscerally reminded of just how vital the Mana stat truly was.
“You, Lord Warrior?”
“Who are you, really? That storm you summoned just now — it was as though Thor himself descended!”
“This is the hero who led our Coming of Age Ceremony to success! A comrade of my cohort!”
The warriors erupted in thunder-like cheers.
And why wouldn’t they.
Gung-gi was a mountain that even 130 of Barbaria’s finest warriors attacking together could barely hold at bay.
Yet here it was.
Subdued in a single strike.
Even watching with their own eyes, they couldn’t believe what they’d witnessed.
“Really… it’s a monster, isn’t it? Even the Captain isn’t at that level.”
“I agree entirely, but you shouldn’t say that in front of the Captain. Lady Hong.”
Hong Su-ah and Bang Dong-hyuk stood slack-jawed, murmuring to themselves.
Rolling through the Invader organization, they’d encountered countless powerhouses.
Yet even a regular knight of the upper orders would struggle to accomplish something like this.
Baek Seol-gi was equally astonished.
“That blow from the cat — I wouldn’t have confidence to block it head-on.”
Not merely dodging or neutralizing it….
But manifesting something far superior and crushing it down.
‘What I’ve witnessed so far must be only a fraction of his true capacity.’
The curiosity was overwhelming.
What future awaited at the end of following this man?
-Ahem! Hmm! I myself could manage the same.
“Is that so? You’re saying you could defeat that cat without using Frost Flame, using an ability of the same root as that creature?”
-Well, that is….
Hel-heim’s words trailed off.
Faithfully reproducing — no, manifesting an even superior version of — a stranger’s powers on first sight was a burden even Transcendents shouldered with difficulty.
“That is why I chose Your Majesty instead of you.”
—Wait, hold on. I still have much to show you. For instance….
Hel-heim cried out something, but Baek Seol-gi’s ears had long since closed to him.
[According to recent intelligence coming through Black Dragon Fortress, evidence has emerged that your younger brother and blood relatives are sheltering with the Tang Sect. We continue to pursue them, so let us wait just a moment longer.]
She was too busy gazing at Your Majesty with warm, tender eyes.
* * *
With Gung-gi subdued, the journey that followed became remarkably peaceful.
The Fog Play had been interrupted.
With the most troublesome area-of-effect skill eliminated, the Attack Party’s advance speed quickened several times over.
The attacks from the Dark Knights and the cultists vanished as if they had never been.
They understood as well.
Once you’ve lost your trump card, you must preserve whatever forces remain.
[Entering the Servant’s Chapel.]
A colossal structure erected in the heart of the Swamp.
Lavish in its use of black iron ore and premium materials, it stood resplendent and majestic.
“So this is where the bastards make their nest.”
Lodbroek ran his hand across his axe.
“Should we just tear the whole thing down?”
“Beats me. First, we need to mark that building as our territory!”
True to form for a Barbarian—headlong and shameless.
Art, cultural treasures, sacred ground—he’d wreck and desecrate it all without a second thought.
But then, at that very moment.
“Tch, tch. Ignorant fools—do you not know what place this is, yet you dare show your filthy faces here?”
An old man emerged before the chapel.
Lusion Dante.
One of the cardinals of the Immortal Cult.
Hm.
It seemed the man hadn’t drawn his position by lot after all.
The quality of the dark magic pouring forth far exceeded our expectations.
‘His rank is impressive enough… but the gear is another matter entirely.’
The robes he wore, the staff, and the rings on his fingers—all were sacred relics tied to the Dark God.
Especially the black book hovering in midair stood apart from the rest.
If things went wrong….
The Barbarians would all perish.
Without knowledge and countermeasures against dark magic, they couldn’t possibly survive.
Subduing Gung-gi was no reason to let our guard down.
Then I spotted a familiar face standing beside Lusion.
It had been a while since I’d seen this one.
The first time since Demon’s Throat, wasn’t it?
“Hey there!”
“…….”
I offered a friendly greeting, but Boradoli just wore the face of someone who’d tasted something foul.
That bastard really had no warmth in him.
I’d need to carve the master of reading and ignoring into his bones soon enough.
“Guffaw, guffaw! So you’re the one who tormented our little jester so mercilessly? Thanks to you, our Cult’s honor lies in the dust.”
“Tormented? We’re close enough to be friends! A little harmless playing around between buddies, and before you know it, misunderstandings pile up. Isn’t that right, Boradoli?”
Tsk.
Again, Boradoli offered no response.
The man was making me feel awkward on purpose.
“A clever schemer by nature, I see. A viper I might have welcomed, but a two-faced serpent is not one to be kept.”
“Just say outright that you don’t like me. Don’t dance around it with flowery words.”
“You seem to be laboring under a misunderstanding.”
Whoosh!
As the pages of the book flipped rapidly—
Zzzzzt, zzzzzt, zzzzzt!
The thin layer of mist trembled violently.
“That is precisely what you just said.”
Ancient runes appeared in midair.
They were incantations meaning Resurrection and Spatial Transposition.
[The Inauspicious Beast, Gung-gi, materializes!]
“Kyaaaah!!!!”
A roar that shook the air itself.
The reason for such ease without additional guards became clear in that moment.
But.
“Hmm?”
When Lusion Dante caught sight of Gung-gi, bewilderment flashed across his face.
By contrast, a faint smile spread across Joo-sang’s lips.
The Trait: Sosae-ang.
Now that Gung-gi’s unique trait had vanished, the beast could never display the same caliber as before.
In other words.
that cat was now a toothless version of itself.
“Warriors!”
Joo-sang bellowed.
He raised his voice to its fullest so all could hear.
“The greatest prey to reach the Hall of Valhalla stands before our eyes right now!”
The endless pursuit against Gung-gi had never been in vain.
They had learned the patterns.
They had mastered the strategy.
The hours spent in blood and sweat—their own bodies would remember every moment of it.
“Prove it here and now! That all of you are worthy of the Valkyries’ call!”
“Uoooh!”
“Let’s go! This is the final battle!”
Now was the time for counterattack.
[Id-sak activates the skill ‘Roar of Valor’!]
[Kai-turak uses the Trait ‘Blazing Heat’!]
[Beynar activates the unique ability ‘Two Hearts’!]
Skills layered upon one another in rapid succession.
“Krhaha! Cough! Gack… This is nothing much. Did you see? My axe lodged in that beast’s hind leg?”
“A magnificent blow. I, Tortun, shall remember your last stand!”
Some fell.
“Target the wounded leg!”
“Drive the wound deeper before it can recover!”
Some pressed forward.
Joo-sang took in every moment with both eyes.
Damn it.
Those who had fought beside him collapsed, exhaling their final breath.
All of it would surely leave scars upon the soul.
Because this was not a game.
Because it was not simply the deletion of an NPC’s data and nothing more.
“Commander. Fighting… alongside you has been… an honor.”
The barbarian who had stood together since the Coming of Age Ceremony chose his final words for this world.
His name was probably Pabiyom.
He was a shield warrior whose head was a size larger than the rest.
“Rest well. In some distant future, I hope we might fight side by side once more in that place.”
Whether those who die in battle truly go to the Hall of Valhalla—he couldn’t be certain of that.
But he had to say it this way at least.
Joo-sang spoke, though Pabiyom’s breath had already ceased.
“Baek Seol-gi.”
“Yes.”
“Give it everything.”
“Those are the words I’ve been waiting for.”
Baek Seol-gi detonated all the mana she had accumulated at once.
Whoosh!
Frigid air erupted from the ground itself.
A wave of bitter cold froze every water droplet in the air.
“Krrr?”
Gung-gi’s gaze snapped immediately toward Baek Seol-gi.
It realized that this one small girl was dozens of times more dangerous than all the hundred-odd enemies gathered here.
“I’ve been itching for this for a while now, truth be told. I don’t much understand why anyone would flee from a mere beast.”
[The Frost Flame Ultimate Sword, Third Form—’Snowsoul Annihilation’ activates!]
Screech! Clang-clang-clang…!
The blade fell upon Gung-gi’s entire body without mercy, tearing flesh in relentless succession.
Blood sprayed forth only to freeze solid the instant it left the wound—the strikes were that sharp, that fast.
“Krooooagh!”
Gung-gi, whose resistance to physical damage was extraordinarily high, thrashed his whole body in agony.
But.
The condition of supplying Baek Seol-gi with mana so she could fight was far from simple.
It fell to him to fill the void left by his own inner power, burning away in an instant.
“Hnh.”
Jeong Joo-sang furrowed his brow at the strain bearing down on his heart.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
Searing, violent pain.
He could feel his mana draining away, second by second.
Gung-gi, naturally, would not miss such an undefended moment.
Whoosh!
Green flames gathered in its tail, lashing out at Joo-sang.
A combination skill linking Chain Explosion—which could amplify flame damage up to threefold—with Mouse Fire Play.
“Commander!”
“Watch out!”
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
Nearby warriors threw themselves into the blast.
A tremendous explosion erupted.
Five Barbarian warriors died in that single flare.
To protect one man.
“Leave the defense to us! We will protect you—I swear it!”
Lodbroek and a dozen other warriors formed a wall before Joo-sang.
This was the weight a lord must bear.
Sacrificing few to save many.
Cooling the fever of one’s own heart.
And sustaining only the cold clarity of reason.
To become emperor.
To reach the cursed end of this world.
One must be human, and yet not human.
Joo-sang stared at the charred corpse for a moment.
Barely a second.
That alone was the time permitted to Joo-sang the man, not Joo-sang the lord.
“Phase Two approaches! Three types of area attacks will be added, and the attack patterns will change—abandon all the timing you’ve memorized until now!”
Lodbroek and three elder-ranked warriors would serve as main tanks, with Bang Dong-hyuk as the sub-tank.
The main damage dealers were Baek Seol-gi and Hong Su-ah.
Hong Su-ah in particular possessed the Suppression trait, which could freeze the enemy’s movement for 0.5 seconds—brief, but enough to open an opening.
‘With that gap, Seol-gi and I can land a heavy blow.’
The Frost Flame Ultimate Sword and the Black Sun—the two most devastating weapons at their disposal.
Victory would be decided in a single instant.
* * *
Three minutes. Five. Ten.
As the battle dragged on, the situation descended into unpredictability.
“Protect the Cardinal!”
“For the Evil God!”
As the Black Knights and cultists scattered throughout the Swamp began to converge, taking down Gung-gi became increasingly difficult.
Reinforced by various dark magic support, Gung-gi grew ever more impregnable.
Most troubling was that Baek Seol-gi, their greatest asset, had become pinned down by the Immortal Cult’s elite rankers.
Cut one down, and two more came at her.
Cut down two, and three rushed in to replace them.
“What a monstrous woman. For her to push us to such an extent.”
“There exists such a master in the martial world? Surely she can’t be the Celestial Demon Sect’s young leader?”
The Black Knights—the Cardinal’s personal guard—had thrown aside all pride, focusing entirely on Baek Seol-gi.
“Her skill exceeded our expectations, I’ll admit. But that alone is nowhere near enough.”
Lusion Dante’s expression had grown far more composed.
And indeed, he spoke the truth.

Gung-gi, still bristling with damage-reduction traits and skills in abundance, remained unbowed. And the Black Knights and cultists scattered across the Swamp continued to converge, their numbers swelling by the moment.
Among them were considerable numbers who had defected—even members of the Haemosu Guild.
Hope was draining away.
“Gasp… gasp…”
“Is… is this the end?”
“Chieftain. All escape routes are already sealed.”
In that moment, everyone thought the same thing.
All except one.
Everyone but the chieftain.
“How can you remain so composed in such circumstances? The outcome is already decided. We have won, and you have lost!”
At Lusion’s words,
“I’m afraid we haven’t shown all our hidden cards yet.”
The chieftain shrugged.
“Even on the brink of death, your mouth keeps moving. So when exactly do you plan to use this hidden card of yours? After all of you are dead?”
“No. If it opens only after everything’s finished, then it wouldn’t be hidden anymore.”
A hidden card reveals itself only in the moment of absolute crisis.
The chieftain had already caught the delicate fragrance carried on the wind.
And in that instant.
An upheaval occurred.
“Fortunately, the embers have not gone out.”
With a gentle voice came the words.
“In accordance with the Honorable Pact, the Forest Clan now enters the field of battle.”
The guardians of the forest had arrived.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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