Chapter 73

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 73: The Traitors (3)

Kwon Hanul shifted his gaze.

He saw Kwon Hudon, battered and covered in blood. His face was swollen beyond recognition, and his eyes were wide with confusion.

"You did well,” Hanul said briefly.

And yet, those words were enough to make tears stream down Hudon’s face like raindrops.

"Your mother was very worried."

Hanul placed a hand on Hudon’s shoulder. A golden light enveloped his body.

Golden Healing

A recovery skill gained from consuming the golden apple. As expected of a legendary-grade ability, the swelling on Hudon’s face vanished in an instant.

"Take some time to rest."

After healing Hudon, Hanul turned to Takamine Ryoko.

"Miss Takamine, apologies for the delay."

"It’s alright. I’m just grateful you came. But..."

She looked toward the collapsed entrance and asked, "Was it really necessary to break through like that? I gave you the key, didn’t I?"

"The key? You mean this?"

Hanul pulled out a round plate from his coat. Takamine Ryoko sighed.

"Yes, that’s the one."

"I didn’t know how to use it, so I just broke in."

"...Oh."

Apparently, that hadn’t occurred to her. She thought he was just pretending to be clueless, but perhaps not everything had been an act.

"If you didn’t know how to use the key, then you shouldn’t have known where the hideout was either. So how did you find it?"

"I had help from a capable teammate."

Right then, there was movement at the entrance. Mei Hong stepped carefully down the rubble like stepping stones.

"Mr. Hanul, you can’t just rush in alone like that."

Mei Hong said with a reproachful tone. Hanul explained to Ryoko again.

"She’s had a lot of training in this field."

Mei Hong had been trained as an assassin by the Mei family.

Among her training was the ability to deduce hidden spaces based on building structures.

She had spent the past few days wandering Takamine’s estate tirelessly.

She had already figured out there was a hideout beneath the grand dining hall.

She just hadn’t told Hanul.

"You two came alone?"

"That’s right. Are you worried?"

"No, I trust my eyes."

Ryoko shook her head firmly.

"You came with just the two of you, without Joo Hayun?"

Frederance cut in on the conversation.

"Foolish move. Not that you’d know any better. You’ve just arrived—you probably don’t even grasp the situation yet."

"I do. I’ve been briefed. I know you’re here, and that there are traitors among us."

Suspicion flickered across Frederance’s face.

"You came knowing that? Are you blinded by ambition? Or are you getting cocky now that you're famous?"

"Neither."

"Then did you think I, Frederance, would be easy to take down?"

"Not quite, but..."

Hanul glanced around—at Hudon’s team, the living dolls, and finally Frederance himself.

"Doesn’t seem like something I can’t handle alone."

Frederance burst out laughing.

"You think you can handle this alone when you're not even a world-ranked player?"

Frederance didn’t know exactly what Hanul was capable of.

The Hyukcheon Clan was notoriously secretive. Even for someone as prominent as Hanul, no personal info had ever been leaked.

"With only one S-rank stat under your belt, you think you can take us on solo?"

But strong recognizes strong.

When Frederance first saw Hanul, he’d sensed his caliber immediately.

"Kwon Hanul, I actually rate you pretty highly. But with your current level, I doubt you could even take down a single living doll here."

Frederance pointed to one of the dolls clinging to the wall.

"Looks like you don’t quite understand either."

"What do you mean?"

"Ah, makes sense. If you’ve been holed up here, you wouldn’t have seen it—how I dealt with the dolls attacking the mansion. Isn’t that right?"

Frederance momentarily faltered. What about the mansion’s living dolls?

He had sent them merely as a distraction, but they weren’t weak. Hanul shouldn’t have been able to handle them.

"You sure talk big for someone with such mediocre power. Don’t tell me landing a hit on Rockbreaker gave you a false sense of confidence?"

Before he could finish, an explosion erupted from the ruined wall.

From the gaping hole, Rockbreaker burst in.

"Kwon Hanul! You bastard! You punched me in the face?! I swear I’ll kill you myself!"

Despite getting ambushed by Hanul’s energy wave, Rockbreaker was completely fine—not even slightly dazed.

"I’d love to let you have him, Rockbreaker, but that’d be a waste."

Frederance shrugged and signaled to his team.

"Don’t kill him. Capture him."

Then added, "If you don’t have him in ten minutes, I’ll activate the latent poison."

A threat to one’s life brings out their absolute limit.

With that, his team’s eyes sharpened. As if on cue, they all rushed Hanul.

"Mei Hong."

"Yes!"

"Protect Miss Takamine."

Hanul issued the order swiftly.

"Swarm him!"

"Don’t let him get away!"

The team spread out wide to surround Hanul.

"Hoo..."

Hanul drew up all his mana, channeling it into his suit.

In that instant, the team members surrounding him saw something.

Hanul’s black suit began to writhe—as if alive.

And behind him, a figure began to form.

"...A dragon?"

Someone murmured.

The next moment, a dragon’s roar blasted them all away.

Dragon Fear

A unique skill usable only by especially powerful dragon-type monsters.

"G-Gah!"

"My head...! My head...!"

Those of weaker standing suffer immense trauma just from exposure to the aura. In extreme cases, it can be fatal.

"M-My mana... it’s not moving..."

"I-I can’t feel my limbs..."

It didn’t stop there. Dragon Fear reversed the flow of mana and drastically lowered all stats.

Not just the team— even the living dolls were on the floor, writhing in agony.

With a single move, Hanul had neutralized all of Frederance’s forces.

"You’ve got to be kidding me."

Frederance could only let out a hollow laugh.

"You’re surprised already? We’re just getting started."

Hanul pulled a ring from his coat. It looked like a carved ruby, and he slid it onto his pinky.

<You have equipped the ‘Ring of Lust’.>

<The fifth function has been unlocked.>

<The power of ‘Vassal Bloodline’ has greatly increased.>

The Ring of Lust grants five unique abilities depending on which finger it’s worn on.

The power unlocked on the pinky was—

"Listen to me."

Illusion.

"The one next to you is your enemy. Kill them."

In an instant, silence blanketed the hideout.

The team and the dolls turned to those beside them.

And then, chaos erupted.

"There! That’s Kwon Hanul!"

"Die! I have to kill you to survive!"

"Arghhh!"

It was carnage. So horrific that even Frederance was left speechless.

Then someone shouted—

"Hanul!"

Rockbreaker charged in from the side. With his high mana stats, he hadn’t fallen under the illusion like the others.

"You let your guard down!"

He swung his fist. An explosion obliterated the spot where Hanul had just been.

"Hah! Now that was satisfying!"

"Glad to hear it."

The Rockbreaker’s laughter came to an abrupt stop.

As the explosion smoke cleared, Kwon Hanul stood there, completely unscathed.

“W-What the…?”

“Gear difference.”

“…What?”

Kwon Hanul spread his arms wide. Dragon Demon Energy gathered into his hands.

“Sorry for underestimating you earlier.”

The Rockbreaker flinched and clenched his fist again, flustered.

“This time, I’ll land a proper hit!”

“Screw you!”

The Rockbreaker attempted to slam his fist down, but before he could, Hanul reached out and caught his punch mid-air.

Black Dragon Ascension Art – Basic Form

Reversal Style: Willow Strike

The force and magic imbued in the Rockbreaker’s fist twisted violently.

What was meant to be unleashed toward Hanul suddenly turned inward. With a sickening snap, the joints dislocated and his arm was flung backwards.

“GAAARGH!”

The Rockbreaker let out a scream. His shoulder, forearm, and wrist joints were all dislocated in one brutal motion—pain no human should have to endure.

At that moment, both of Hanul’s hands moved again.

Dragon Demon Aura surged to his fingertips, exuding razor-sharp killing intent like blades.

Black Dragon Ascension Art– Basic Form

Slash Style: Twin-Handed Severance

Hanul’s hands sliced through the air. Two black lines tore across the Rockbreaker’s body in an instant.

Moments later, deep lacerations bloomed across his flesh, and blood gushed out violently.

“G-GAAAHH!!”

Assaulted by the fresh wave of pain, the Rockbreaker screamed again.

Hanul clenched his fist, preparing for the final blow.

The Spiral Wave technique he used earlier—part of the Impact Style—was a powerful internal destructive move that unleashed Dragon Demon Aura to rupture targets from within.

However, against someone like the Rockbreaker, whose raw mana far surpassed his, it wasn’t nearly as effective.

So this time, he chose a different technique.

Black Dragon Ascension Art– Basic Form

Impact Style: Ice White Crash Fist

Before swinging his punch, Hanul twisted his waist. The delayed strike slammed directly into the Rockbreaker’s torso.

The concentrated mass of Dragon Demon Aura crushed through his thick muscles, shattered the bones beneath, and tore into his internal organs.

The Rockbreaker was sent flying without even a moment to scream.

“Guh… GUHH!”

He crumpled to the ground, writhing in agony, blood gushing from his mouth.

Just as Hanul approached to finish him off—

A surge of killing intent hit him from behind.

It was sharp—almost like a real dagger was flying toward him. Instinctively, Hanul turned around.

Frederance was glaring directly at him.

“Kwon Hudon.”

“H-Huh?!”

“I’d like to be the one to finish him, but I guess that won’t happen.”

Frederance clearly had no intention of letting Rockbreaker die.

Probably because it wasn’t easy to acquire another slave ranked as a World-Class combatant.

“You take care of Rockbreaker.”

“...M-Me?”

“What? Too much for you?”

Hesitation flickered across Hudon’s face, but he soon responded firmly.

“...No. I can do it.”

“Good. I’m counting on you.”

With that, Hanul turned to face Frederance.

“You must’ve gotten attached during that short time—stepping in to keep him alive and all.”

“He’s a World-Ranker. Would be a shame to let him die here.”

Frederance gave Hudon a sidelong glance and asked, “You’ve made a foolish decision. Even if he’s injured, Rockbreaker is still a World-Class Ranker. You really think that fool can take him on?”

“That’s not your concern,” Hanul replied with a firm tone. The clarity of his response left Frederance with no choice but to nod.

“You’re right. It’s not my business. But something else is bothering me… That gear you’re wearing—don’t tell me… Is that the Blackriver from the Weber Heinkel line?”

“It is. Why?”

“I knew it.”

Frederance’s eyes scanned the Blackriver set hungrily.

“There aren’t many armors out there that can block a World-Ranker’s attack and endure Dragon Fear. After the Blaga family took it ages ago, no one’s seen it since… and now it’s just standing in front of me.”

Greed was written all over his face—his eyes practically glowing with desire.

“Today’s a lucky day. A World-Ranker and the Blackriver set falling into my hands?”

“Too bad I’m not giving it to you. Sounds like wishful thinking.”

“That’s not your call to make.”

Frederance’s bloodlust surged.

“I’ll just kill you and take it myself.”

Hanul took up a fighting stance, ready to strike at any moment. Frederance beckoned with his fingers as if inviting him.

“Come. In honor of your ‘Hyukcheon’ title, I’ll let you have the first move.”

Hanul didn’t turn down the offer. He kicked off the ground and charged straight in.

But Frederance made no move at all. Even as Hanul found it suspicious, he pushed forward with Dragon Demon Aura building rapidly.

Black Dragon Ascension Art – Basic Form

Strike Style: Bullet Impact

The fastest technique, delivered through the fastest path.

Hanul’s fist shot like a bullet toward Frederance’s face.

Just then—

“H-Hanul!”

Hudon shouted out in panic.

“Watch out!”

Hanul’s punch landed directly on Frederance’s face.

It hit clean. Yet Frederance didn’t even flinch. It was as if he felt nothing. Not even a blink.

“That’s a decent punch.”

Frederance said with a grin, his face still pressed against Hanul’s fist.

“But it’s useless against me.”

Suddenly, Frederance lunged forward. A knife-hand strike whipped toward Hanul’s neck.

Even with the Blackriver’s superior defense, unprotected areas couldn’t be covered.

The flash-like strike aimed to pierce Hanul’s neck—

But just before it landed, Hanul ducked to the side, as if he had seen it coming.

Planting a hand on the ground, he spun his body and lashed out with a sweeping kick aimed at Frederance’s head.

With a thunderous impact, Frederance was pushed back.

Though his face remained untouched, it was clear he hadn’t expected that.

“…How did you anticipate that?”

Thanks to utilizing multiple bloodlines, Hanul’s battle sense had reached the level of true foresight. This much didn’t even surprise him anymore.

However, not even Hanul had seen this next event coming—

‘???’ has come into contact with ‘Superhuman Bloodline’

You have acquired ‘Superhuman Bloodline’

A violent change began to stir within Hanul’s body.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]