Chapter 18 - Bloodline is Everything

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 18: A Bloodline's Resolve (1)

Crunch.

The Imoogi’s Core shattered in his mouth, dissolving almost instantly.

As it traveled down his throat and reached his stomach, a powerful surge of energy spread throughout his body.

Hot? No, it was cold. So cold that it felt like burning heat.

As expected, the Imoogi’s Core was not something that would yield its power so easily. The poison surged through Kwon Hanul’s body, attacking both his flesh and mind.

However, Hanul’s body wasn’t weak either. He had built up poison resistance and detoxification abilities over time, using them as a shield to withstand the venom’s assault.

The poison, as if enraged by his resistance, intensified its attack. A thin line of blood trickled from Hanul’s lips.

‘From here on, this is my battle.’

Would his stamina deplete first? Or would the poison surrender?

From this point, it was a battle of willpower.

…That was unexpected.

‘Huh.’

Hanul hadn’t anticipated that his bloodline would absorb the poison in real time. And not only that—it even generated a new trait.

Although it was inferior to ‘Absolute Poison Immunity,’ the ultimate poison resistance ability, ‘Impervious to All Poisons’ was still powerful enough to neutralize most toxins.

<‘Impervious to All Poisons’ resists the venom!>

If the Imoogi were still alive, it might have clicked its tongue in frustration.

‘…So there really was something hidden inside.’

Before Hanul could react, the malice began to stir.

His vision turned red. Deep within, a surge of fury began to rise.

Hanul clenched his teeth without realizing it. If it was this strong from the start, he needed to brace himself properly to endure it—

…Or so he thought.

His mind cleared, and his emotions calmed instantly.

His mana moved instinctively, seeking out the dark energy hidden within the core’s essence and incinerating it completely.

Was it just his imagination, or did he hear the distant scream of a beast?

‘That was easier than I expected.’

Not that he was complaining. Less suffering was always a good thing. Feeling relieved, Hanul focused on fully absorbing the core’s energy.

The moment he reached A-rank, his body underwent a transformation. It felt as though everything melted away and was reconstructed anew.

And that wasn’t the end.

His bloodlines stirred once more.

‘Draconic Physique?’

Hanul opened his status window.

Trait: Draconic Physique

Grade: Unique (SSS)

Description: Grants the body of an Imoogi.

He could feel the changes happening within him.

His bones grew denser. His muscles hardened like tightly coiled steel wires.

Clenching his fist, he immediately noticed it—his strength was now incomparable to before.

And that wasn’t all.

The darkness in his room became clearer. Even in the absence of light, he could now see through the shadows.

His senses had expanded significantly. The range of his perception now stretched far beyond the room, encompassing the entire mansion. He could feel the movements of the staff as if they were right next to him.

‘…This is incredible.’

The physical and sensory enhancements granted by the Draconic Physique were nothing short of astonishing.

Genius Bloodline responded with its own improvements. It hadn’t generated a new trait like Healthy Bloodline, but the enhancements were still substantial.

‘I must be crazy. Draconic Physique alone is already incredible, and here I am expecting more.’

Hanul chuckled at his own greed.

And then—

‘Dragon Pearl?’

He immediately checked his status window.

Dragon Pearl

Grade: Unique (S)

Description:

Enhances the power of a dragon.

Upon completion, it will evolve into a ‘Wish-Granting Pearl.’

Hanul’s gaze fixed on the term ‘Wish-Granting Pearl.’

An Imoogi becomes a true dragon upon obtaining this pearl.

So, what would happen if Hanul, who had gained an Imoogi’s body, acquired one?

‘If I’ve gained power, I should test it.’

Standing in the center of his room, Hanul activated his Dragon Demon Energy.

The energy surged through his mana circuit like a storm. The sheer force startled him.

‘My mana circuits have changed along with my body.’

If his previous mana circulation was akin to a regular road, his current one was a highway.

The volume, speed, and intensity of his Dragon Demonic Energy had all reached unprecedented levels.

Just as he was about to suppress it—

His power nearly doubled. For a moment, he lost control.

A surge of uncontrollable energy exploded outward. The mansion trembled, and every window shattered instantly.

“Wh-What’s happening?!”“An intruder! Contact the security team immediately!”

Panicked shouts filled the air. Hanul rubbed his face with both hands and muttered, “I can’t live like this.”

* * *

Morning

Joo Hayun arrived at the mansion where Kwon Hanul was staying.

He had requested a meeting with the Chairman.

However, something felt off today.

Every window in the mansion was shattered. The staff, with dark circles under their eyes, were busy cleaning up the glass shards.

Finding the situation strange, Joo Hayun made her way to Hanul’s room.

“Sir, I’m coming in.”

After a soft knock, she opened the door. Hanul was sitting cross-legged on his bed.

She paused.

His presence was entirely different from yesterday.

Yesterday, Hanul had been like a raging fire—overflowing with energy, restless and wandering.

But today, he was like a tranquil lake.

Calm, serene. Impossible to gauge, yet deeply stable.

“Oh, you’re here?”

Hanul opened his eyes and looked at her. Joo Hayun smiled.

“Congratulations. It seems you’ve gained quite the opportunity.”

“It was just the Core you gave me.”

She was quietly astonished.

No mere Core could cause this much change.

“Shall we go? The Chairman will see you at 10:30—exactly for five minutes.”

“Harsh.”

“He’s a busy man.”

Hanul followed Joo Hayun to the Chairman’s mansion.

* * *

As they stepped inside, they saw Kwon Seonwoo flipping through a mountain of paperwork.

"I'm busy. My schedule is packed, so say what you need to and leave quickly—"

Seonwoo, who had been speaking at a rapid pace, suddenly stopped mid-sentence. He glanced over Kwon Hanul and then picked up his phone.

"It's me. Cancel all my appointments for the next hour."

After hanging up, Seonwoo gestured toward a seat.

"Sit."

As soon as Hanul sat down on the sofa, Seonwoo got straight to the point.

"What happened in just one day? How could you have changed so much?"

Even though they hadn’t seen each other in months, Seonwoo specifically said “one day.” It was clear that he had been receiving regular reports on Hanul.

"I consumed the Imoogi’s Core."

"…You actually found a way to consume it? How did you manage that?"

"It was all thanks to the Black Dragon Blood."

In truth, the combination of his Healthy Bloodline and Genius Bloodline had made the absorption effortless, but he couldn’t reveal that. Instead, he offered a plausible excuse.

"So True Blood has such a function… It seems I'll have to revise my assessment."

It felt like a misunderstanding had taken root, but Hanul saw no need to correct it.

"Absorbing a Core means… am I right in thinking what I think I am?"

"Yes. I want my debut battle to be in a Platinum Dungeon."

For a brief moment, Seonwoo's eyes gleamed.

"I did set that condition myself… but I never thought you'd actually fulfill it."

"You haven’t forgotten our bet, have you?"

"Hah, that only applies if you actually clear the Platinum Dungeon."

Seonwoo scoffed.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. Clearing a Platinum-tier dungeon solo is no easy feat. Compared to that, meeting the requirement is just child's play."

"Well, we’ll just have to see, won’t we? But no matter how I look at it, the reward doesn't seem fair."

"What do you mean?"

"A single pass to the Hyukcheon Treasury in exchange for clearing a Platinum-tier dungeon? You should be offering something much more substantial."

Seonwoo looked puzzled, as if further explanation was needed.

"Grant me the right to form a team."

"A team? You’re not seriously…"

Forming a team meant stepping into the public eye and expanding his influence.

Seonwoo's tone carried disbelief.

"Are you planning to reject Chan-seong’s proposal?"

So he knew that much already. The old snake.

Hanul continued.

"A True Blood can't serve under a Pure Blood, can they?"

"If you form a team, you'll end up clashing with Chan-seong. No—every Pure Blood will see you as an enemy."

"I'm aware of that. I'm asking you anyway."

Seonwoo stared at Hanul for a long moment before breaking into a faint smile.

"This is where you're different from your father. Fine. If you clear the Platinum Dungeon, I'll give you what you want."

"And there's one more thing I'd like to ask."

"If you add any more conditions, I’ll be the one getting the short end of the stick."

"Tell me about my father."

Seonwoo's smile disappeared instantly.

"I could tell you."

An unexpected answer.

"But only if you bring me results worthy of it."

"So, the Platinum Dungeon—"

"That alone won’t be nearly enough."

Seonwoo's voice turned cold.

"Bring back an achievement so great that no one can deny you. Then, and only then, I'll tell you about your father."

Before Hanul could respond, Seonwoo gestured toward the door.

"Leave now. I don’t have any more time to waste on you."

Hanul felt dissatisfied, but he knew there was no convincing Seonwoo at the moment.

"I'll be going, then."

After a brief bow, he stepped outside.

As soon as Hanul left, Seonwoo picked up his phone again.

"It's me. Cheon's son has decided to make his debut in a Platinum Dungeon. Find a suitable one for him."

Seonwoo spoke slowly, deliberately.

"There will be plenty of people trying to interfere. Should we stop them? No, of course not. Let them be."

He gazed out the window, watching the clouds drift lazily across the sky.

"If we really want to see his true worth, we have to test him properly, don’t we?"

As soon as Hanul stepped out of the chairman’s office, he spotted Kwon Chan-seong leaning against the wall.

"I'm disappointed in you, little cousin."

"Don't tell me you were eavesdropping?"

"Don’t get the wrong idea. My hearing is just sharp. I couldn’t help but hear it."

Chan-seong shrugged off the accusation with a casual excuse.

"I was willing to be generous, you know. And yet, my little cousin disregards my goodwill like this?"

He flashed a faint smile, but his eyes were anything but friendly.

"I must have told you multiple times what my answer would be."

"And yet, your potential is so enticing that I still wanted to claim you for myself."

Chan-seong pushed himself off the wall and slowly approached.

"Do you know, little cousin? Kids can be incredibly possessive. When they want a toy, they'll do whatever it takes to get it."

A quiet, oppressive aura leaked from Chan-seong, making Hanul’s skin prickle.

"But do you know what happens when they can't have it? They break it—just to make sure no one else can have it either."

The pressure around him grew stronger, as if invisible blades were pressing against his skin from all directions.

"Are you ready to end up like that, little cousin?"

Hanul grinned. A smile filled with layered meanings.

Until yesterday, he hadn't even grasped how vast Chan-seong’s presence was.

But now, he saw it clearly. He understood the limits of this so-called "great" man.

"Breaking a toy just because you can't have it? What a spoiled little brat. And do you know how you're supposed to deal with brats like that?"

"Oh? And how’s that?"

"You give them a good smack on the ass to teach them a lesson."

Chan-seong's eyes widened for a moment—before he burst into laughter.

It was the kind of laugh one would give while watching a puppy play. No matter how loudly the puppy barked, it would never be a threat.

Yes, they were all the same. The Hyukcheon Bloodline always looked down on him like that. They all thought they could crush him underfoot.

Chan-seong would be no different. Hanul would make sure of it.

When that time came, what kind of expression would Chan-seong have?

Suppressing the twisted grin forming on his lips, Hanul turned to leave.

"You're right. Brats do need discipline."

"Then, if you’ll excuse me."

Without another glance, Hanul walked past him and disappeared.

Chan-seong, who had been laughing for a while, finally took out his phone and made a call.

"It's me. Find out which Platinum Dungeon my dear little cousin is going to debut in."

After a brief pause, he added, "Oh, and cut off a couple of Eclipse’s tentacles while you're at it. No, make it two."

Once he got his answer, he ended the call and chuckled to himself.

"My little cousin is quite entertaining. Now, let’s see… will the toy break first? Or will the brat get spanked first?"

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]