Chapter 50

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

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Chapter 50: The Final Authority (2)

“I’m so glad you’re safe!”

As soon as she saw Kwon Hanul, Catalina Blaga’s face lit up with joy.

“I’m truly sorry about what happened. I thought I might lose the bet, so I sent one of our blood kin to assist Ruyn... I never imagined that would cause him to go mad.”

Tears welled up in Catalina Blaga’s eyes.

“If anything had happened to Little Dragon, I... I...!”

Eventually, tears streamed down her cheeks. It was a heart-wrenching sight, proving the adage that a woman’s tears are a weapon.

Yet Kwon Hanul merely stared at her coldly.

“Good thing the Witch of Hyukcheon arrived just in time. You held out well against Ruyn all that while.”

At those words, Kwon Hanul and Joo Hayun exchanged glances, both visibly confused by what they’d just heard.

Sensing the sudden tension, Catalina Blaga looked momentarily flustered.

“Lady Blaga, when I entered the scene, Ruyn Aspadam was already dead,” Joo Hayun said.

Shock spread across Catalina’s face.

“Already dead? Then don’t tell me Little Dragon... handled him alone?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Catalina’s eyes widened in disbelief. She could only stare at Kwon Hanul, speechless.

“If you think you can sweep this incident under the rug with a simple apology, I suggest you think again,” Kwon Hanul said, his voice so sharp it seemed to carry the weight of killing intent.

Nadia Blaga, the pure-blooded kin they had encountered in the dungeon, had told Kwon Hanul she had no intention of harming him and that her only order had been to ensure his victory in the bet.

A pure-blood like her had no reason to lie to a true-blood like Hanul. Still, he found it hard to take her words at face value.

How could someone of Catalina Blaga’s stature not anticipate her kin spiraling out of control?

Even if she hadn't foreseen it, the fact remains—the Blaga family’s blood kin tried to kill a member of the Hyukcheon family.

“I will be filing a formal protest with the Blaga family over this matter.”

“You’re too worked up, man.”

Suddenly, Kwon Jiseok cut in.

“While you were in the dungeon, I had a chat with Lady Blaga. This whole incident was an accident for her, too. One of their blood kin also got killed by Ruyn Aspadam.”

“What are you even saying...?”

“Look, one kin went berserk. Dragging the entire family into it feels like overkill.”

Kwon Hanul stared at Jiseok in disbelief.

“A member of another family caused chaos in Hyukcheon territory.”

“I know, I know. But this is my operational zone.”

Jiseok shrugged.

“We’re not letting it go for free. She’s agreed to pay reparations.”

With that, Hanul couldn’t argue any further. Jiseok was in charge here.

“As expected of you, Jiseok. Thank you for understanding my situation,” Catalina said, smoothly stepping back into the conversation.

At that moment, a flicker of hostility passed through Jiseok’s eyes—but vanished just as quickly.

Hanul almost doubted his own eyes.

He thought Jiseok had lost it, charmed by Catalina, but that wasn’t it.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. Oh, and Little Dragon—”

Catalina Blaga approached Hanul.

“Separate from the compensation to the Hyukcheon family, I’ll be sending you a personal gift as an apology.”

Her gaze lowered, subtly scanning Hanul’s body.

“You seem to be in need of new clothes, after all.”

At that, Hanul looked down at himself.

His Aryongtae was in tatters, crushed and mangled. The scales of a lesser dragon weren’t nearly enough to fend off Ruyn Aspadam’s attacks.

“You can look forward to it,” she added, brushing past him.

Before she could fully turn away, Hanul asked, “Is Nadia Blaga safe?”

“Oh, she’s perfectly fine—not a scratch on her. Thank you for saving her.”

“She didn’t say anything?”

“Nothing at all. Why do you ask?”

Hanul shook his head.

“It’s nothing.”

Looking puzzled, Catalina boarded her car.

Once she was gone, Hanul turned to Jiseok.

“We need to talk.”

“Yeah, I’d love to, but I gotta clean up the dungeon mess first. After that chaos, even the Mud Trolls should’ve snapped out of it. If I find any White Soil, I’ll make sure it gets to you. Don’t worry.”

With that, Jiseok hurriedly fled.

Hanul clicked his tongue.

Everything left a bitter taste in his mouth.

* * *

As soon as Jiseok stepped into his private tent, his phone rang.

He quickly answered.

“Hyung?”

—Yes, it’s me. Did you handle everything as I instructed?

“I did.”

—Well done.

Despite the praise, Jiseok looked anything but pleased.

—I was worried that woman might get other ideas, but things went as expected. Thanks to you, everything worked out.

Jiseok clenched his fist, voice rising with anger.

“Hyung, what the hell are you thinking?!”

—What do you mean by ‘hell’?

“You brought in Catalina Blaga to hand over Kwon Hanul to the Blaga family? That’s insane! This can’t happen!”

—Why not?

“How can you ask that?! That bastard... Hanul might be a pain, but he’s our family! How can you even consider giving him to outsiders?!”

—So?

Kwon Chan-seong’s voice remained calm and even.

—Is that all you have to say?

Jiseok was at a loss for words.

—Hanul is too dangerous. We need to root him out early. But he’s protected by the Chairman, so we can’t touch him easily. That’s why I allied with Catalina Blaga.

Chan-seong’s tone was unnervingly composed. Jiseok had never felt his brother so unfamiliar.

—Don’t forget, he’s a true-blood. He’s overlooked now because of his origins, but one day, he’ll surpass everyone in the family.

Jiseok listened in silence.

—By then, it’ll be too late. Everyone will look up to him. Even Father’s position could be threatened.

“So you’re just going to hand him over to another family? That makes no sense! As Hyukcheon blood, we should be trying to surpass him ourselves!”

—Nonsense.

For the first time, Chan-seong’s voice turned sharp.

—Look at the mixed-bloods and inferior-bloods. No matter how strong they are, they’ve never surpassed the pure-bloods. Do you think we’re any different?

“But this... this isn’t right. Hyung, this is truly wrong.”

—Then what? Are you saying you’ll accept it? If he surpasses you and proves himself, will you acknowledge him and step aside?

A long silence followed.

Finally, Jiseok answered.

“I will.”

—What did you just say?

“I said, if Hanul reaches that point, I’ll acknowledge him.”

—Pathetic. Do you know why Father cast you aside? Because of this!

Chan-seong roared.

—I don’t care what you think! Just don’t interfere with my plans!

The call ended. Jiseok lowered the phone, drained of strength.

He let out a deep sigh.

* * *

Catalina Blaga climbed into her van.

The interior was lavish, decorated entirely in red, exactly to her tastes.

“You’re here,”

Inside, Nadia Blaga was already seated. Catalina took a seat beside her.

“K, are you there?”

—Yes, ma’am.

A disembodied voice answered from the air.

“Use as much of the main house’s resources as you need. Make sure the Hyukcheon family doesn’t hold any grudges.”

—Understood.

“I can always count on you.”

—You flatter me.

Catalina smiled faintly.

“You seem curious. Go ahead, ask. I’m in a very good mood right now.”

—Why didn’t you act according to your agreement with Kwon Chan-seong?

Originally, Catalina had agreed with Chan-seong to kidnap Hanul today. That was the condition of their cooperation.

Yet once she arrived, she deviated from the plan.

“I didn’t trust him.”

Catalina Blaga spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"We don’t really know the guy that well—how could we just trust him right away?"

K nodded. His master might appear careless at times, but she was meticulous about matters like this.

"Chances are, Kwon Chan-seong doesn’t fully trust me either."

Catalina yawned briefly, then continued.

"I’m satisfied just knowing I can trust Kwon Chan-seong a little more now. He probably feels the same."

—Understood. May I ask one more question?

"Go ahead."

—Then why did you use Ruyn Aspadam as the sacrifice?

In K’s eyes, Ruyn Aspadam was an exceptional talent—far too valuable to be used merely as a test for evaluating Kwon Hanul's capabilities.

"You rate Ruyn very highly, don’t you, K?"

—That’s how I saw it.

"Well, I didn’t."

Catalina cut him off coldly.

"Ruyn’s growth plateaued after we took him from Thunder Lord There was nothing more to expect from him."

For Catalina Blaga, potential for growth was the most critical factor when selecting her Vassals.

If a Vassal reached the level she anticipated, they’d be elevated to Shadow Knights—a higher rank. If not, they’d be discarded without hesitation.

—Then were you satisfied with Kwon Hanul?

A smile spread across Catalina’s face. The kind of smile that only came when she was truly overjoyed—utterly unable to contain her delight.

"More than I expected… no, he was beyond all expectations."

—That much?

"I planned to judge the Little Dragon’s potential based on how intact he’d be by the time Joo Hayun arrived."

As someone known as the Human Collector, Catalina had her own unique standards for evaluating people.

From K’s experience, her criteria were always spot-on.

"If he survived, he’d pass. If he came out with all limbs intact, he’d be top-tier… and the Little Dragon? What did he do?"

—He… defeated Ruyn.

"Yes! He won! I don’t know how, but… he won! He really, truly won!"

Catalina stomped her foot excitedly on the ground, as if she were about to burst from sheer exhilaration.

"I’ve never met anyone like the Little Dragon! Out of all the talents I’ve seen… no, out of all the people I’ve met—he’s the best!"

She clutched her face with both hands, her eyes swirling with madness.

"I have to have him. No matter what. If I have to sacrifice the entire Blaga family to do it, so be it."

Suddenly, K felt a strange sense of unease.

It wasn’t unusual for Catalina Blaga to get excited over someone with potential.

But something about her demeanor now felt… off. Almost as if she were possessed.

"Oh, Nadia?"

Catalina turned to her side. Sitting there silently, barely breathing, was Nadia Blaga.

"What really happened in that dungeon? You told me everything, right?"

Nadia swallowed hard, her face tense.

"Y-Yes… I was definitely hiding, but… Kwon Hanul—no, Kwon Hanul found me."

"Even though you used an artifact, you still got caught?"

"Y-Yes!"

Catalina scrutinized Nadia with suspicion, who shrank back in fear.

"Well, he did kill Ruyn. No reason he couldn’t find you too."

Fortunately, Catalina didn’t press her further.

"Besides, I know Nadia wouldn’t lie to me."

Those who bear the Blood of the Vassal cannot disobey the commands of their superior bloodline.

Though both Catalina and Nadia were of the same Vassal bloodline, the gap in dominance between them was vast.

Nadia clenched the hem of her robe tightly, Kwon Hanul’s face flashing in her mind.

* * *

Back at the hotel, Kwon Hanul had to explain what had happened in the dungeon.

"So… you’re saying that skill you used came from the Mei family’s warehouse?"

Joo Hayun’s expression was skeptical as she listened to his explanation.

"Yeah, there was this suspicious statue—I touched it, and suddenly I acquired the skill."

"Then why didn’t you tell me about it?"

"Remember what you said? The chairman sent me to find a potion that boosts stats, and I was afraid I’d get interrogated for finding something else. Then I missed the chance to say anything, and it ended up being an unintentional secret."

He emphasized the words “unintentional secret.” Joo Hayun still looked unconvinced.

"…Please just tell me next time."

But it seemed she decided to trust him anyway.

"At the very least, tell me. It could be dangerous."

"Didn’t seem dangerous, so I didn’t think it was worth mentioning."

"You may not know this… but just like there are cursed artifacts that steal their owner’s life, there are cursed skills too. And once acquired, you can’t erase them. That makes them even more sinister."

Only then did Kwon Hanul realize the real reason Joo Hayun was angry.

She wasn’t mad because he kept it from her—she was worried for his safety.

"…I promise I’ll tell you next time."

"You’d better."

She gave him a faint smile. It seemed she wasn’t angry anymore.

"Oh, and I got this too."

Kwon Hanul pulled out Ruyn Aspadam’s dimensional storage gem. Joo Hayun’s eyes widened slightly.

"That’s Ruyn Aspadam’s storage gem."

"Yep. Mind helping me sort through it?"

"Of course."

He emptied the contents. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much inside.

"Potions for body enhancement. This one boosts agility, and this…"

Her hand paused for a moment.

"…This is a martial arts uniform."

A yellow robe with a bird emblem—neither a relic nor custom-made. Just an ordinary, powerless piece of clothing.

"Why would he have this?"

"Probably a gift from the Thunder Lord. He was known for crafting robes for his disciples."

Joo Hayun carefully folded it and handed it to Kwon Hanul.

"It’s not valuable, but if you ever meet the Thunder Lord, it wouldn’t hurt to return it. He was deeply devoted to his disciples."

"…Wouldn’t he want to kill me for killing his disciple?"

Joo Hayun chuckled softly.

"He’d probably thank you—for putting a wayward disciple back on the right path."

Kwon Hanul had never been led astray by her advice. He took the robe. It was clean—like it had just been washed.

A question suddenly crossed his mind.

Ruyn Aspadam had abandoned his master for Catalina Blaga. And yet… he still kept the robe his master had given him.

"Well, not my business."

"Sorry?"

"Nothing."

He resumed examining the rest of the items. Mostly junk.

Then, something caught his eye—a small stone tablet.

"This is…"

Memory Page—a relic that stored skills.

Thunderclap Heaven-Fist: Flash Step

Rarity: Legendary (SS+)

Description: A movement technique paired with Thunderclap Heaven-Fist. At its peak, allows movement at light speed.

Skill Acquisition Condition 1: Must master Thunderclap Heaven-Fist: Two Heavens at 10 stars.

Skill Acquisition Condition 2: Requires Lightning Power.

Memory Pages vanish upon use. That it was still here meant Ruyn hadn’t learned the skill yet.

"Completely useless to me."

It was undoubtedly an excellent technique—but the conditions were the issue.

Kwon Hanul hadn’t learned Thunderclap Heaven-Fist and didn’t have the Gift to alter his mana like Ruyn.

He couldn’t sell it either. If Thunder Lord found out, Kwon Hanul would be in serious trouble.

"Guess I’ll return this to Thunder Lord too."

Then, a thought sparked in his mind.

Shura Bloodline gave him talent in martial arts. Genius Bloodline expanded his cognitive ability and comprehension.

With both, couldn’t he deconstruct and recreate this skill?

Kwon Hanul rubbed his chin, deep in thought. After a long pause, he reached a conclusion.

"I can pull this off."

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

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