Chapter 6 - Bloodline is Everything

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 6: The Bloodline’s Astonishment (3)

An Apartment in Seoul.

“You son of a bitch!”

Kwon Jiseok furiously hurled his smartphone. The device smashed against the wall, crumpling like a piece of paper.

“That lowborn bastard dares to ignore me?”

He couldn't suppress his anger. As someone born into the Hyukcheon Group, he had never suffered such humiliation. Most people bowed their heads before him without question.

“Master, please calm down. On a joyous day like today, there’s no need to let a nobody ruin your mood.”

The man sitting beside him attempted to soothe him. He was a member of the Hyukcheon branch family, possessing the Inferior Black Dragon Blood.

“He's right. That ignorant fool isn’t worth your time.”

A young woman placed a glass of water in front of Kwon Jiseok as she spoke. Like the man, she was also from a branch family, possessing Mixed Black Dragon Blood.

They weren’t the only ones. The five men and women gathered in the apartment were all members of the Hyukcheon bloodline. But this wasn’t just a casual gathering.

“Instead of wasting time on that guy, wouldn’t it be more productive to go over our plans again?”

Soon, Kwon Jiseok’s own team would be officially formed. The people gathered here were meant to be its core members.

“Master, you’ve always said that our true competition is Kwon Chan-seong.”

Kwon Chan-seong.

The eldest son of Kwon Hyuk, vice chairman of the Hyukcheon Group—and Kwon Jiseok’s older brother.

If Kwon Hyuk was expected to be the next leader of Hyukcheon, then Kwon Chan-seong was the most likely heir after him.

For Kwon Jiseok to claim his father’s seat, he had no choice but to surpass his brother.

“We spent all night reviewing our options. For our first dungeon raid, instead of choosing one in Seoul, we should—”

“Enough with that crap. Talk about it later.”

Crap?

The blood relatives' expressions stiffened.

The only reason they followed Kwon Jiseok was his ambition to claim the Hyukcheon throne.

But now he was dismissing the very plan that was meant to be the foundation of that ambition?

“I heard that bastard Kwon Hanul is entering the Dragon Sage Martial Archive. How far do you think he’ll get?”

Their expressions brightened.

They had thought Kwon Jiseok was being reckless again—but no.

He had come to a strategic realization: just as it was crucial to surpass his brother Kwon Chan-seong, it was equally important to keep Kwon Hanul in check.

And rightly so.

No matter how lowly Kwon Hanul’s background was, he possessed True Black Dragon Blood. That alone made him impossible to ignore.

“The martial vault doesn’t assess the purity of Black Dragon Blood. It grants skills based purely on individual talent.”

“Our research indicates that Kwon Hanul was nothing more than a third-rate Hunter outside.”

“Even if we’re generous, there’s no way he has any outstanding talent.”

The Hyukcheon family's secret martial art, Black Dragon Twelve Ascendant Techniques, was an SS+ ranked skill.

It consisted of:

-Three Entry Forms

-Six Fundamental Forms

-Three Advanced Forms

These twelve techniques were specifically designed to maximize the power of Black Dragon Blood.

The reason Hyukcheon’s bloodline was considered the strongest wasn’t just because of their lineage—but because of these techniques.

“He’ll definitely acquire the Entry Forms. At most, he might get one or two Fundamental Forms.”

“If he does, they’ll likely be the Force Strike and Chain Strike. Counter Strike is notoriously difficult to learn.”

The group began seriously discussing the matter.

The Black Dragon Twelve Ascendant Techniques became exponentially stronger as one progressed through them.

Between two individuals of the same bloodline, the one who had mastered more techniques was always stronger.

But Kwon Jiseok still looked displeased. Then, he pointed at one of the relatives.

“You. How many techniques did you get?”

“Uh… me? Well, I…”

His face turned bright red.

“…I barely managed to learn the Entry Forms.”

“Tsk.”

Kwon Jiseok scoffed in ridicule, making the man’s face burn even hotter.

“What about you?”

“I… I learned two Fundamental Forms!”

“And you?”

“I mastered both the Entry and Fundamental Forms.”

Gasps filled the room.

Even learning a single Fundamental Form was rare, yet he had mastered all of them? He was clearly a prodigy.

Yet, instead of being impressed, Kwon Jiseok’s expression remained sullen.

“So that’s all you’ve got to say?”

Annoyance dripped from his voice. The others glanced at one another in confusion.

“No one has anything else to add? Huh?”

One perceptive member finally caught on.

“Master, may I ask—how many techniques did you acquire?”

The moment the question was asked, Kwon Jiseok’s expression softened.

“Ah, why ask about something like that?”

Despite his words, he was clearly pleased.

“I got the Entry Forms, the Fundamental Forms, and even one Advanced Form.”

“Really? That’s amazing!”

“Pfft, it’s nothing.”

The perceptive relative showered him with praise, and Kwon Jiseok burst into laughter, satisfied.

Meanwhile, the rest of the bloodline watched in silence, their expressions turning cold.

Now they understood.

Kwon Jiseok hadn’t brought up Kwon Hanul because he was truly concerned about him.

He only wanted an opportunity to flaunt his superiority.

And yet, just because he was pureblood, they were expected to follow him.

The weight of that reality settled over them, their faces darkening with unease.

* * *

As soon as the message <Unlocking the personal archive of 'Kwon Hyunmoon'> appeared, another window popped up.

"Black Dragon's Ascension Art?"

Since Kwon Hanul wasn’t entirely sure what the Black Dragon Twelve Ascendant Techniques were, he simply assumed that this was something even better.

He opened his status window to check the details of the Black Dragon's Ascension Art.

Black Dragon's Ascension Art:

Rank: SSS+

Composed of Entry Forms, Fundamental Forms, and Advanced Forms.

Mastering all forms perfectly will unlock the 'Ultimate Skill'.

"SSS+..."

Kwon Hanul stared blankly at the skill window for a while.

Until now, despite working as a Hunter, he had never been able to acquire a decent skill. And now, he had obtained an SSS+ rank technique.

Though he hadn’t tested it yet, since it was a martial art that every Hyukcheon bloodline member was required to learn, its power was essentially guaranteed.

Small particles scattered across the floor began to move.

They gathered at the center of the Dragon Sage Martial Archive, forming a wooden training dummy.

Despite its grand title, the wooden dummy’s appearance was unimpressive.

"Are they telling me to test the skill?"

Kwon Hanul selected the Entry Forms of the Black Dragon's Ascension Art. Three subcategories appeared: Force Strike, Chain Strike, and Counter Strike.

He approached the wooden dummy, took a stance, and activated his technique.

Black Dragon's Ascension Art - Entry Form

Force Strike: Iron Hammer Blow

A fist, brimming with raw power, shot toward the wooden dummy’s face.

At that moment, the dummy’s eyes glowed.

With an almost effortless motion, it deflected Kwon Hanul’s punch with the back of its hand.

Shocked, Kwon Hanul tried to react quickly.

But before he could, a powerful impact struck his chest, sending his body soaring into the air.

* * *

“By the way, how many attempts did it take you all to defeat the Gatekeeper of Dragon Sage Martial Archive?”

One of the bloodline members casually asked as the topic came up.

“Oh, you mean that wooden dummy?”

“Ah, I remember now. That was the trial required for the true awakening of the Black Dragon Blood.”

Simply possessing the Black Dragon Blood wasn’t enough.

One had to undergo another process to fully awaken the power of the dragon.

That was the purpose of the Gatekeeper of Dragon Sage Martial Archive.

“It took me about ten tries.”

“I think I managed it in five.”

As various blood relatives shared their experiences, Kwon Jiseok, who had been silently listening, spoke up.

“You idiots. The number of attempts isn’t what matters. What’s important is the time.”

“Time?”

“Yeah. The real measure is how many minutes it took you to defeat it after your Black Dragon Blood started synchronizing. That determines the true value of your bloodline.”

Even within the same rank of Black Dragon Blood, the capabilities varied greatly.

Not all mixed bloods were equal; some were significantly stronger than others.

“If we’re talking about time... it took me about 25 minutes.”

“I finished in 19 minutes.”

One of the quicker-witted blood relatives seized the chance to flatter Kwon Jiseok.

“And what about you, sir?”

“Me? I took only five minutes.”

“As expected of you, sir! That’s incredible!”

Kwon Jiseok basked in their praise, grinning smugly.

“Ah, it’s nothing. This is the bare minimum for purebloods.”

“Speaking of which, I heard Kwon Chan-seong defeated it in just three minutes. Truly a once-in-a-generation genius of the Hyukcheon family.”

Kwon Jiseok’s expression instantly darkened.

The relative who had mentioned Kwon Chan-seong froze as the atmosphere turned ice cold.

Kwon Jiseok pointed at him and spat, “Hey, don’t ever bring up that bastard’s name again.”

* * *

“Ugh!”

Kwon Hanul’s body took hit after hit as he was sent flying backward, gasping in pain.

“Damn bastard.”

Looking at the wooden dummy in front of him, he couldn’t help but curse.

The dummy lightly shuffled its feet, waiting for Kwon Hanul to make a move.

Twenty.

That was how many times he had charged in and failed.

“Pft.”

He spat on the floor and charged again.

Black Dragon's Ascension Art - Entry Form

Force Strike: Iron Hammer Blow

As his fist hurtled toward the dummy, it sidestepped with effortless footwork, completely avoiding the attack.

Now.

Kwon Hanul’s eyes flashed. This was what he had been waiting for.

Black Dragon's Ascension Art - Entry Form

Chain Strike: Wild Storm Barrage

He unleashed a rapid flurry of punches, striking with terrifying force thanks to his skill.

However—

The wooden dummy effortlessly blocked every single one of them.

Just as Kwon Hanul prepared to use his next skill, a fist smashed into his chin.

His vision blurred, his legs buckled.

A swift kick struck his chest, sending him tumbling backward like a broken doll.

That made it attempt number twenty-one.

Even Kwon Hanul, who had survived through sheer grit, was beginning to lose hope.

He lay sprawled on the ground, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Damn it, how is this thing not letting me win even once?”

To leave Dragon Sage Martial Archive, he had to defeat the Gatekeeper.

But no matter how many times he attacked, the dummy showed no signs of falling.

A hollow chuckle escaped his lips as he gazed at the ceiling.

“If things go on like this, I’m no different from before.”

Despite the enhancement of his overall stats through the Black Dragon Blood, he was still struggling to surpass his past self.

He had obtained Dragon Sage’s Martial Archive and mastered Black Dragon’s Ascension Art.

And yet, when comparing himself to his past as a third-rate hunter, nothing had changed.

He had no talent.

Kwon Hanul realized that harsh truth the first time he entered a dungeon.

Back then, he had struggled against a single goblin charging at him.

It wasn’t just him. Every rookie hunter faced the same struggle.

But not all rookies were the same.

Some of them, despite being just as new, cut down goblins like they were nothing more than straw dummies.

As if they instinctively knew how the monsters would move and exactly how to respond.

That was when he understood—

He had no talent.

“No matter how you look at it, this is pathetic. Even after mastering a secret art, I’m still like this?”

He had obtained an SSS+ rank skill, yet he wasn’t able to fully utilize it.

What were the characteristics of each move? In what situations would they be the most effective?

Mastering a skill he had acquired less than an hour ago was beyond his capabilities.

“Hey, I have to beat you to get out of here, right?”

Hanul asked the wooden puppet standing before him. Naturally, it gave no response.

“My philosophy is simple—if you have no skill, at least be persistent.”

Hanul forced himself to his feet and charged forward again.

The wooden puppet immediately responded. It intercepted his attack by kicking his thigh.

“Ugh!”

A crushing pain shot through him, making his knee buckle involuntarily.

His lowered head left him wide open. The wooden puppet didn’t miss its chance.

Its foot spun midair, launching a precise spinning back kick aimed at Hanul’s temple.

As he braced himself for his 22nd defeat, a surge of emotion filled his mind—

Rage.

A pure, burning rage at this miserable reality and at his own useless body.

And the moment that rage consumed him, something changed.

It felt as though something had grabbed the back of his head and yanked it upward.

Before he realized it, his head tilted back—just in time to see the puppet’s heel barely graze past his nose.

The puppet’s missed kick threw off its balance.

And in that moment, before he could even think, his body reacted on instinct.

He lunged forward and slammed his shoulder into the puppet.

The impact sent the puppet flying as if it weighed nothing.

Black Dragon’s Ascension Art – Beginner Form

Force Strike: Iron Hammer Blow

Hanul raised his leg and brought it crashing down with full force.

The wooden puppet’s head shattered, and the ground trembled from the impact.

Hanul flexed his fingers, still feeling the aftershock in his fist.

“…What the hell just happened?”

His perception, his movement, the way he used his skills—

All of it was far beyond what he should have been capable of.

“So the rumors were true… With the Black Dragon’s Blood, you can wield a dragon’s power.”

Before, it had just been an abstract concept to him. But now, he understood.

The power of a dragon didn’t just grant strength—it transformed the person entirely.

Even someone talentless like Hanul could fight like a seasoned warrior with the Black Dragon’s Blood.

“But that assimilation rate… I think it was at 1%?”

He opened his status window and checked the Black Dragon’s Blood. A newly added section caught his eye.

1. Black Dragon’s Blood\

Assimilation Rate: 1%

For every 10% increase in Assimilation Rate, a new ability will be unlocked.

“Abilities…?”

Just as he was wondering what that meant—

“…Damn.”

Hanul let out a breath in disbelief.

So Healthy Bloodline had these kinds of effects too?

“This bloodline is straight-up overpowered.”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]