Episode 31 – The Blooming Trait Holder
The worst possible mana affinity.
From the Master’s perspective, I was indeed a failure. Even though I had awakened Mystic Power, without the potential for higher-level growth, I was considered worse than a three-star non-trait user.
“So that golden light really was…”
Karl seemed convinced that the strange light I used to kill the slime—and save him—was my Mystic ability.
I didn’t bother to correct him.
It was better to let him believe that what he saw was Mystic Power. There was no need to reveal that the real ability behind it was enchantment.
The ancient glyph etched into my body allowed me to pull off this little deception.
“I awakened Mystic Power, and I was chosen by the Master.”
“That was a year ago?”
I unfolded my story—though it wasn’t my real story, but the one belonging to this body.
I recounted the memories of being chosen by the Master and undergoing training—then being discarded when I failed to meet expectations.
When I mentioned that I was still stuck at one star even after consuming three Mana Fruits, Karl clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“What a waste of resources. You could’ve raised a three-star assassin with that amount of investment. Hell, even I would’ve abandoned you.”
“Aren’t you being a bit blunt, saying that to my face?”
“So you’re still a one-star, huh?”
Karl scanned me up and down, then tilted his head, visibly puzzled.
“You’re one-star… but you don’t feel like a one-star.”
He wasn’t wrong.
My mana rating was low, but I had a range of unique abilities.
Mental barriers, enchantment, and the ancient glyph—these abilities had saved my life more than once. But for someone with only a one-star rating, they were absurdly powerful.
However, that didn’t mean I could easily defeat opponents of higher ranks.
My fight against Donecolint had only succeeded because the situation was highly unusual. In most cases, I wouldn’t stand a chance against higher-ranked opponents.
I wasn’t yet able to fully wield the abilities I had.
It might even be a limitation of my current rank.
Both my enchantment ability and the ancient glyph felt incomplete—like half-baked powers.
As Karl toyed with his dagger, he studied me carefully. In the distance, I saw his assassins standing by, waiting for orders.
There was still a palpable killing intent in the air. If Karl gave the signal, they’d rush to kill me without hesitation. It sent a chill down my spine.
But I was certain of one thing.
Karl wouldn’t kill me.
Everything I had told him was the truth.
And the ultimate proof of that was:
“If it weren’t for Boom, you’d already be dead.”
“I know. It’s the mark of someone discarded.”
Being a victim of Boom was proof I’d been abandoned.
Could there be a better card to play in convincing Karl?
For the first time, I felt a strange sense of gratitude toward the parasitic insect lodged inside me.
Now, it was time to drive the final nail in.
The next step was crucial.
“I want the Master dead more than anyone. And I want Crux to be destroyed.”
“......”
“If I get out of here, I’ll make sure it happens. I will have my revenge.”
The atmosphere around us grew heavy.
Killing the Master and destroying Crux—those were Karl’s deepest desires.
Revenge.
Mentioning a shared goal was the fastest way to build trust.
It was a way of presenting myself as a comrade who shared the same enemy.
Karl silently studied me, his gaze unwavering. It felt heavy, but I returned his stare with equal resolve.
“Can’t afford to lose a good friend, can I?”
With those words, the assassins’ killing intent vanished as if it had never been there.
My gamble had paid off.
“You said you had a request. It’s about Boom, isn’t it?”
I nodded, and Karl sliced off another piece of meat, chewing thoughtfully before he spoke again.
“I’ll help you get rid of Boom. But there’s something I need from you right now.”
“What is it?”
“What’s your real name?”
I glanced around. Karl noticed my hesitation and waved his hand. The assassins quietly stepped back, giving us some space.
‘That’s not why I was looking around, though…’
Why does he care about my name so much?
“Arthur. Arthur Clayton.”
“Karl Bastain.”
That simple exchange of names felt oddly significant.
It felt as if Karl now recognized me as an ally—a comrade bound by a common enemy.
Karl handed me another slice of meat, perfectly cooked.
I was too full to eat, but I forced myself to take a bite.
‘This makes two.’
Karl was the second person to learn my real name—after Lochter Felice, the Betrayer Knight.
One by one, I was becoming tangled with key figures from the novel.
I stuffed the last of the meat into my mouth, signaling the end of our meal.
Night fell without us noticing as we talked.
I had planned to examine the living mana stone I’d obtained, but my conversation with Karl had drained me.
The oppressive killing intent earlier had worn me out.
Right now, I didn’t want to do anything at all.
As I lay back, gazing at the stars overhead, I couldn’t help but think:
“Damn… This is exhausting.”
Every day was a narrow escape from death, balancing on a razor’s edge.
What a shitshow.
The next day, we went fishing to prepare our meals. It was self-sufficient living, just like Karl had said—a jungle survival scenario I’d only seen on TV before.
Thanks to my agility, the fishing went smoothly.
But…
“How do I start a fire?”
After yesterday’s events, I felt awkward asking for help. I sat there, sweating profusely as I fumbled with some dry grass.
That’s when Karl approached.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to start a fire.”
“I thought you were dancing.”
“......”
Karl chuckled and called over Elton.
Why is he calling Elton all of a sudden?
A moment later, Elton appeared, dagger in hand, striding toward me.
The way he moved was unsettling, to say the least.
Elton stabbed the dry grass with his dagger, and in an instant—
Fwoosh!
The flames roared to life, igniting the kindling effortlessly.
I stared at the fire in disbelief. All my hard work felt utterly pointless now.
Karl clapped Elton on the shoulder with a grin.
“He’s in charge of our fires. Neat, huh?”
“…So, Elton’s a three-star Blooming Trait Holder?”
“We might as well tell you. There’s no point in hiding it since we’re working together. But that’s all I’ll say about his abilities.”
Once awakened, mana users are ranked from one to three stars. As the rank increases, the user’s abilities grow exponentially.
In the novel, this progression was compared to the growth of a flower:
- One-star: Sprout
- Two-star: Bud
- Three-star: Bloom
Blooming Trait Holders were rare—those chosen to awaken powerful abilities.
Of course, I already knew Elton’s trait.
“The Flame Blade.”
Elton was famous for leaving nothing but ashes of his targets.
“Are you also three-star, Karl?” I asked.
“Do I look that strong?”
“The weak don’t lead. That’s a rule in the world of assassins, isn’t it?”
“Can’t argue with that. Let’s just say I’m somewhere close to three stars.”
Close to three stars?
A vague answer.
Perhaps Karl had been stronger in the past, but losing an arm had brought him down from that level.
“Are you also a Blooming Trait Holder?” I asked, trying to confirm.
“Nah, I wasn’t that lucky.”
“Is that so?”
I nodded thoughtfully and turned my attention back to the fire, feeding it with more wood and preparing to grill the fish we had caught.
Liar.
I knew Karl’s trait—Risk Perception.
It was a sensory trait that allowed him to instinctively gauge the danger level of any situation. That ability had kept him alive through years of relentless pursuit by Crux assassins.
It was what made him such a difficult target to kill.
Having two Blooming Trait Holders in the same group...
I couldn’t help but wonder about my own future.
What are the chances that I’ll awaken a trait if I reach three stars?
Probably slim to none.
My luck had been rotten so far. It was hard to imagine suddenly hitting the jackpot with a powerful trait. In fact, reaching three stars alone seemed like a distant dream.
My mana affinity is absolute trash, after all.
I still had hope, though.
The living mana stone.
It was time to figure out if that stone could spark any hope for my pitiful self.
I needed to find a quiet spot where I could examine it without interruption.
Just as I was formulating a plan, Karl spoke up.
“I need some time.”
“...Pardon?”
“I need time to prepare for the removal procedure.”
“Didn’t you say it could be done right away?”
“I lost the bracelet.”
“Bracelet?”
“Yeah, it’s something I made a while back to remove the parasite. It must have fallen off when that damn slime swallowed me.”
“So, without the bracelet, we can’t do it?”
“Not here, no. If we can’t find it, we’ll need a mage to make another one.”
I groaned internally.
This just got more complicated.
“What if we find the bracelet?”
“I’ll also need to adjust the Betel’s Poison to suit the procedure, but yeah, we should be good if we find the bracelet.”
“What if we can’t find it?”
“Then we’ll have to leave this place and track down the right mage to make a new one.”
I let out a long breath, trying to suppress my frustration.
So the bracelet is crucial, huh? Great.
Karl seemed to sense my irritation, and he smirked slightly.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. Just sit tight and wait for me to find it.”
“There’s... something else.”
“What is it?”
“You never told me the price for the procedure.”
“Price?”
“Yeah. That’s what you were getting at last night, wasn’t it?”
Karl chuckled, clearly amused.
“I was. But after hearing your little confession, I forgot all about it.”
“So, what do you want from me?”
Please don’t ask for something impossible.
“I don’t want anything.”
“...What?”
“I already got my payment.”
I blinked in confusion and stared at Karl.
What the hell is this guy talking about?
“Your revenge.”
“Revenge?”
“Yeah. With you around, I feel like my revenge will come easier.”
“That’s just a hunch?”
“I have a good sense for these things.”
Karl grinned, his scarred face twisting into something both sinister and amused.
Damn, this guy’s scary.
Also... isn’t this revenge supposed to be YOURS, not mine?
Karl was basically saying he’d treat me for free—because he believed that by sticking with me, his own revenge would come to fruition.
Well, I guess it works out in my favor...
Whether he wanted to use me or not, it didn’t matter. Our goals were aligned—for now.
I looked down at the fish grilling over the fire.
Somehow, I had lost my appetite.
Later that day, Elton left with a group of assassins to search for the missing bracelet.
Karl stayed behind with the wounded assassins. Apparently, I hadn’t noticed before, but a few of them were injured.
They wore masks, making it hard to tell who was who. Karl busied himself tending to their wounds, treating them with surprising care.
He probably picked up all sorts of injuries while baiting monsters, I thought.
Not wanting to waste any more time, I approached Karl again.
“When do you think the monsters will come back?”
“That depends on how quickly the area fills up again.”
“What do you mean?”
“The more people that gather in one place, the faster the monsters appear.”
“So for now, it’s safe?”
“For a while, yeah.”
“Is there a cave or somewhere I can stay out of sight for a bit?”
“What for?”
“There’s something I need to check out on my own.”
Karl raised an eyebrow, but didn’t press the issue.
“There’s no cave nearby, but there’s a thick reed field not far from here. It’s a good place to hide.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t wander too far. If you die, it’ll be a pain for me.”
“Is there anything more dangerous than monsters out here?”
“Yeah—humans.”
Karl tossed me a small firework. It was a signal flare.
“Humans are scarier than monsters. Strong ones are dangerous because of their power. Weak ones? They’ll betray you the moment they think it’ll save their skin.”
I nodded slowly, realizing the truth in his words.
“People like you, without clear boundaries, are easy prey.”
“...Boundaries? What do you mean?”
“A threshold for spilling blood. You need to figure that out if you want to survive. If you’re too soft, you’ll die. But if you’re too strict, you’ll make enemies everywhere.”
A threshold...
I’d never really thought about it before. But Karl’s words made me reflect.
“What’s your threshold, Karl?”
“Revenge. I’ll kill anyone who stands in my way—no exceptions.”
I thought I understood what he meant.
There was no need for me to overthink this.
Survival.
That had always been my goal from the start.