Chapter 36

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

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Chapter 36: A Bloodline Accompanies (1)

Kwon Seonwoo led all members of the Hyukcheon Clan toward the Mei Clan’s treasure vault.

Unlike Hyukcheon’s vault, located deep underground, the Mei Clan’s vault stood above ground.

Its size was roughly that of a soccer field, and it stretched up to five stories high. In comparison to Hyukcheon’s vault, it was considerably smaller.

Still, it was the vault of a prestigious clan, so various security systems blocked the path of the Hyukcheon bloodline.

“Hyah-cha-cha-cha!”

Not that it mattered—one punch from Kwon Myung-woo shattered everything in their way.

Before entering the now-defenseless vault, Kwon Seonwoo assigned everyone their tasks.

“Hyukcheon Corps, head outside and collect all the Mei Clan’s weapons. Myung-woo, go to the first floor’s armory and take anything worthwhile. Mi, you go to the second floor and…”

As he assigned duties one by one, it was now Kwon Hanul’s turn.

“You and Hayun go to the underground herb storage.”

“Uh, Dad?”

Kwon Mi was startled by the command.

“Why would you entrust that place to him… We have Hudon as well…”

“Silence. If you’re going to argue, leave now.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

Kwon Mi lowered her head with a sullen face. She wasn’t alone—Kwon Jiseok also looked visibly displeased.

Only one person, Kwon Myung-woo, was overjoyed.

“Ha-ha! As expected, you’re entrusting him with that place, big brother!”

“Quiet, you fool.”

Kwon Seonwoo spoke with irritation and went upstairs.

The family members moved to their assigned areas.

Watching them disperse, Kwon Hanul couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion. What’s so special about a herb storage that everyone’s reacting this way?

“Lord Kwon Hanul, let’s move out.”

Kwon Hanul and Joo Hayun headed to the underground herb storage.

Since Hayun knew more about herbs than Hanul, she took the lead.

“Let’s see… we need to take all the herbs on this shelf.”

Out of nowhere, Joo Hayun pulled out a massive sack and began sweeping the herbs into it. Kwon Hanul helped her from the side.

After emptying one shelf completely, they moved to the next.

“Please store all these herbs in your dimensional storage.”

“Huh?”

Hanul couldn’t help but ask in surprise. At a glance, the herbs on this shelf looked incredibly valuable.

“Are you sure this is okay?”

“Yes. This is the fun of looting. No one will notice if a few go missing.”

Hanul was quite shocked by her casual attitude.

“You seem… experienced at this.”

“I’ve done it a lot.”

“A lot…”

Suddenly, a realization struck Hanul like lightning.

“So that’s why the Chairman sent me to the herb storage?”

“Exactly. You’ve raised all your stats to Grade A now, correct? Have they increased at all since then?”

“Now that you mention it… not even once.”

No matter how much he trained or hunted monsters, his stats hadn’t budged.

Even the effect of Healthy Bloodline, which once boosted his stats, had stopped.

“That’s to be expected. With conventional methods, you can’t go from Grade A to Grade S.”

Hunters grow stronger by increasing the stats displayed on their status windows.

All Hunters start at Grade E, and their grade increases once they reach a stat score of 50.

At a glance, it seems like stats steadily improve, but reality is different.

As one’s grade rises, it becomes exponentially harder to increase stats.

“If Grade A is the realm of superhumans, Grade S is called the realm of transcendent beings. Achieving Grade S is harder than reaching for the stars. Your global ranking is determined by how many S grades you’ve attained.”

This was news to Hanul. Or rather, he’d never had a chance to hear it.

Until recently, Kwon Hanul had been a third-rate Hunter who couldn’t even reach Grade C.

“There are two main ways to reach Grade S: defeat a powerful boss monster, or consume a potent elixir equivalent in power.”

Only now did Hanul fully grasp why he had been sent to the herb storage.

“He wanted me to steal herbs capable of granting Grade S stats.”

“Correct. Even within Hyukcheon, such elixirs are rare and highly coveted. Without this opportunity, your turn might never come.”

Now he understood why Kwon Mi and Kwon Jiseok had been so dissatisfied—they didn’t want to miss this golden chance.

“Just in time, here’s one of those herbs.”

Joo Hayun picked up an item from the shelf.

It was a seed, roughly the size of a child’s fist.

“The Mei Clan shouldn’t be underestimated… I can’t believe they had this.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a Golden Apple Seed.”

Cough.

Hanul choked in shock and had to calm himself before he could ask again.

“A… Golden Apple Seed?”

A spiritual fruit that, once consumed, restores youth and grants boundless vitality.

In the past, three global guilds clashed over the Golden Apple due to its immense value.

Now he was looking at its seed—it was no wonder he was stunned.

“If you eat the Golden Apple, you can raise one stat to Grade S. But growing it to bear fruit is extremely difficult.”

“How do you grow it?”

“You need a special artifact called the Sacred Emperor’s Water. It has the power to unseal anything in this world, making it just as rare as the seed itself.”

This was why Golden Apples were so scarce.

Not only were the seeds rare, but the Sacred Emperor’s Water needed to grow them was even harder to obtain.

“But it’s worth the effort. To challenge the peak of Hyukcheon, you’ll need at least three stats at Grade S.”

Even achieving one S-grade stat made someone a transcendent. To need three just to qualify—such conditions bordered on the impossible.

“What about Kwon Chan-seong hyung?”

“He reached S grade in all his stats long ago.”

“And Granduncle?”

“Lord Kwon Myung-woo reached S grade as well—and I heard his strength is SS grade.”

Hanul couldn’t even wrap his head around S grade. SS grade? That was beyond imagination.

“It’ll take forever just to qualify at this rate.”

“Not necessarily.”

Joo Hayun disagreed.

“Considering your growth speed, it won’t take long.”

Her words made Hanul flinch slightly.

With multiple bloodlines coursing through him, his growth was anything but normal.

With their help, achieving S grade would be within reach.

“I’m not that impressive.”

Still, he couldn’t reveal this to Hayun.

Brushing it off, Hanul stored the Golden Apple deep in his dimensional storage.

After that, they continued combing the herb storage together.

Unfortunately, the Golden Apple Seed was the only herb capable of granting S-grade stats.

“We should head back.”

They’d gathered everything of value. It was time to leave.

Hanul and Hayun walked out together.

Back on the first floor, they found the other family members already waiting after finishing their looting.

Since the herb storage had been the largest, Hanul and Hayun were the last to return.

“Oh, there you are.”

Kwon Myung-woo greeted Hanul first.

He was carrying sacks larger than oxen on both shoulders. Judging by their shape, they were full of weapons.

“So, did you fill your pockets?”

“I swept everything in sight.”

At Hanul’s reply, Myung-woo burst out laughing.

Just then, a voice rang out from outside.

“Who is this girl?”

Everyone in the vault rushed outside.

They found Kwon Seonwoo, with several kneeling Hyukcheon members behind him. Lying in front of them was a bloodied young woman.

“We found her wandering the Mei Clan’s grounds.”

“Did you do this to her?”

“No. She was like this when we found her.”

She was alive, but her injuries were severe enough that she could die at any moment.

Hanul stared at her for a moment. A thought crossed his mind.

“Mei Hong?”

He approached and examined her face. Though it was battered, it was indeed Mei Hong.

“You know her?”

“She’s one of the Mei Clan’s representatives. Also… she’s the one who severed the artifact’s mana channel.”

“This girl is that Mei?”

No wonder she was in this state—she must have been attacked by her own clan right after cutting off the mana channel.

“Someone, bring medicine.”

One Hyukcheon member produced a vial and poured its contents into Mei Hong’s mouth.

Shortly after, Mei Hong awoke, coughing violently.

She looked around, bewildered, and recognized the blood relatives of the Hyukcheon Clan. She asked,

“…The battle… What happened to Mei Tian?”

“If you’re referring to Lord Mei, he’s already dead,” Kwon Hanul replied.

At his words, Mei Hong’s face showed relief.

“…Thank goodness.”

Hack!

Mei Hong coughed up blood. Kwon Seonwoo turned to Kwon Hanul and asked, “Do you know this girl well?”

“No, sir. I met her for the first time today.”

“Can she be trusted?”

Kwon Hanul paused briefly before answering.

“I believe so. She’s the one who warned me about the Mei Clan’s attempt to poison me.”

Though the warning was ultimately useless due to his reinforced constitution—thanks to the Healthy Bloodline and Genius Bloodline—he still appreciated the intent.

“Very well. Heal her wounds. We’ll take her back to Hyukcheon.”

Kwon Hanul looked surprised at Kwon Seonwoo’s words. He wondered—could this be an act of repaying a debt?

“I’ve been meaning to bring the Shura Blood under my control. It’s fortunate to have found a cooperative member of the Mei bloodline.”

Ah, that makes more sense.

It seemed Kwon Seonwoo’s motivation wasn’t about gratitude, but rather, about gaining strategic advantage for his clan.

“Everyone, clear the area.”

The Hyukcheon blood relatives immediately backed away. Once they had withdrawn to a safe distance, Kwon Seonwoo summoned his Dragon Aura.

In an instant, a towering cliff seemed to appear before them.

This was an illusion caused by the overwhelming density and sheer volume of the Dragon Aura he released.

The aura began to take form—a colossal dragon emerged, soaring through the blue sky.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Kwon Myung-woo said, slapping Kwon Hanul on the back.

Kwon Hanul nodded blankly.

“Remember this sight. That form is called the Incarnation Body—the pinnacle of all bloodlines.”

Kwon Myung-woo spoke with admiration in his eyes.

Even he, Hyukcheon’s Greatest Fist and bearer of the Fist Aura, looked upon the Incarnation Body with reverence.

“How does one attain the Incarnation Body?” Hanul asked.

“Only those qualified can achieve 100% resonance with their bloodline. That’s the only way.”

“What do you mean by ‘qualified’?”

“I don’t know,” Kwon Myung-woo answered flatly. “Many among the Hyukcheon bloodline have sought the Incarnation Body, but only three have succeeded—the first Patriarch, the second Patriarch, and my brother.”

His tone turned bitter.

“No one knows the exact criteria… but one thing is certain—only a rare few can ever reach that state.”

It seemed that Kwon Myung-woo had likely tried and failed himself.

Perhaps that’s why he looked at Kwon Seonwoo with such regretful longing.

“But you, as a Trueblood, will surely achieve it. You might even surpass my brother. No, I’m certain you will.”

His voice brimmed with conviction. Kwon Hanul only smiled faintly.

“But I do have one question.”

“What is it?”

“Sir, the Chairman has clearly attained the Incarnation Body—so why are you still called the Hyukcheon’s Greatest Fist?”

Kwon Myung-woo’s expression twisted instantly.

“You brat! I may not have achieved the Incarnation Body, but when it comes to martial arts, even my brother can’t beat me!”

“Ah, I see.”

“What kind of half-hearted answer is that?! Come here so I can show you just how ‘unsatisfactory’ that answer is!”

As the two bickered, the fully incarnated dragon that was Kwon Seonwoo descended.

—Everyone, climb on my back.

* * *

Hyukcheon Clan Grounds.

In an open space filled with earth, the purebloods of Hyukcheon had gathered in droves.

With anxious faces, they kept looking up at the sky.

Someone muttered quietly,

“When will the Chairman return…?”

It had been seven hours since Kwon Seonwoo transformed into his Incarnation Body and flew off to the Mei Clan.

No one believed he could be defeated by the likes of the Mei Clan, but with their leader deep in enemy territory, they couldn’t rest easy.

“There! The Chairman is returning!”

A voice rang out. A black dragon appeared in the distance, flying toward them.

“He’s safe!”

“Of course he is! The Chairman and the Greatest Fist were together—nothing could have gone wrong!”

As the purebloods exchanged remarks, Kwon Seonwoo descended.

Once the blood relatives he carried dismounted, he reverted from his Incarnation Body.

“Whew… Transforming twice in one day is exhausting.”

“You really are getting old, brother.”

“I don’t need to hear that from you,” Kwon Seonwoo grumbled. The purebloods rushed forward.

“Chairman! Are you injured?”

“What became of the Mei Clan?”

At that, Kwon Seonwoo, clearly uninterested in explaining, gestured at Kwon Myung-woo.

“Ask him. He’ll tell you everything.”

All eyes turned to Kwon Myung-woo. With a proud grin, he declared, “What kind of question is that? Of course, we crushed them!”

He threw down a sack he had been carrying. Other blood relatives followed, unloading goods from their stores.

The sacks overflowed with spoils of war, drawing gasps from the onlookers.

“Hahaha! It was an incredible battle! But do you know who stood out the most? Hanul! Come here!”

Kwon Myung-woo called Hanul over with pride.

“This young man here defeated the Swordmaster of Mei Clan in single combat!”

Silence fell over the crowd.

Kwon Hanul sighed.

“Great Uncle, you need to explain this properly. That’s not what happened…”

“Hahaha! Isn’t it incredible? At his age, he brought down the Swordmaster!”

“No, I mean, if I could just clarify…”

“That coward used some strange artifact to kidnap this lad! A foolish move—it got him killed by Hanul inside it!”

Ignoring Hanul’s protests, Kwon Myung-woo rambled on.

The longer he boasted, the more stunned the purebloods became.

Hanul eventually gave up trying to correct him.

“You’re noisy,” Kwon Seonwoo interjected.

“Brother, what now?”

“Stop spouting nonsense.”

The purebloods looked at Kwon Seonwoo with hope—but he offered no clarification.

“You probably have many questions, but the main players are exhausted. We’ll adjourn for today.”

His tone brooked no argument.

“We’ll handle the rewards and merits and recount the details of this event in the upcoming clan meeting.”

Everyone bowed and answered in unison.

“Take your rest.”

The crowd dispersed. Hanul turned to leave as well.

Then—

“You stay. I need a word.”

Kwon Seonwoo called him.

“The day after tomorrow, you’re coming with me. Start preparing.”

“Where are we going?”

“To the Delos Auction.”

Kwon Seonwoo said it casually, but Hanul was stunned.

Delos Auction.

The world’s most prestigious auction house, known for trading the rarest and most expensive artifacts.

Even world-ranked elites struggled to gain entry—yet he was being invited?

“Why… why take me?”

Kwon Seonwoo turned away and answered, “I need someone to carry my bags.”

“…Bags?”

Hanul could hardly believe his ears.

“You won’t be bored. All sorts of people gather at Delos—even members of other clans.”

Other clans…

Hanul’s eyes gleamed at those words.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

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