Chapter 97

[Translator - Helga ]

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Chapter 97: Incarnation (2)

When the members of the Pablo Family saw Joo Hayun, only three thoughts came to mind:

She’s disgustingly beautiful.

Disgustingly strong.

And she looks disgustingly pissed off.

“P-please, spare me!”

“S-she’s a lunatic! She’s gonna kill us all!”

Every time Joo Hayun cast a spell, buildings crumbled, and the ground shook.

The Pablo Family's members scattered in all directions, desperate to survive.

It was a pitiful, gruesome scene—but Joo Hayun didn’t bat an eye.

“Wow.”

Even Kwon Hudon couldn’t help but feel a wave of fear wash over him.

“She’s unusually aggressive today.”

“She’s just in a really bad mood.”

“Holy crap!”

Startled by the voice whispering in his ear, Hudon jumped. Mei Hong had appeared beside him without warning.

“Hayun’s in a bad mood?”

“Yeah. She’s wasting way more mana than usual, and her spells are unusually rough, don’t you think?”

Hudon frowned, clearly confused.

From what he could see, Joo Hayun was casting her magic with flawless precision.

“Are you sure she’s actually upset?”

“Oppa… I figured as much, but wow—you’re really clueless.”

“Huh? What?”

“If you don’t get it, then just remember this—that is what Hayun unnie looks like when she’s angry.”

Hudon still looked unsure.

“Then what’s she mad about? Did something happen to upset her?”

“Come on, Oppa. Did you already forget what Kwon Hanul said to her?”

Originally, Joo Hayun had planned to go with Kwon Hanul, not Hudon and Mei Hong. Jose del Pablo was too dangerous to face without backup.

But Hanul rejected her help and went to confront Jose alone.

“She’s that upset over something like that?”

“You really shouldn’t say it like that. You don’t get how serious it was…”

“Miss Mei Hong.”

Joo Hayun suddenly snapped her head toward them. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.

“Could you stop with the pointless chatter?”

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

Mei Hong, usually so cheeky and carefree, couldn’t bring herself to joke around this time.

“The reason the two of you were assigned to me wasn’t just for my safety—it was because Lady Kwon Mi wanted me to gain combat experience.”

As she spoke, Joo Hayun gestured with her hand. A wave of black mana surged, and a nearby wall exploded outward.

“We—we’ve been spotted!”

“AAAAAHHH!”

With screams came flying chunks of what used to be human flesh, scattering in all directions.

The sheer horror of it made Mei Hong and Kwon Hudon freeze in place.

“Did I make myself clear?”

They both nodded furiously.

Only then did Joo Hayun turn away.

“See? Told you,” Mei Hong whispered to Hudon. He looked at her like she’d lost her mind.

And then—they all felt it.

A surge of terrifying mana from far off in the distance.

Hudon turned his head on instinct. Mei Hong and Joo Hayun did the same. So did every remaining Pablo Family hunter who hadn’t already fled or died.

“W-what… what the hell is that?” Hudon murmured, eyes wide.

A black dragon was rising into the sky.

***

The cartel’s forces had been decimated. But Secretary Kim was battling a headache.

— Did you just see that?! Something just flew into the sky!

— I saw it too! Wasn’t that a dragon? I’m pretty sure that was a dragon!

— That can’t be a real dragon! What the hell was that thing?!

His teammates, all linked to Karama’s Messenger skill, had started talking all at once.

And all communications passed through Secretary Kim before being relayed to others. When chatter piled up like this, the mental strain on him was overwhelming.

— Wait a sec! That direction… isn’t that where Kwon Hanul and Jose del Pablo are?!

— No way. For real? Did Jose have a skill like that?

— You idiot. That aura belongs to the Black Dragon Bloodline.

— Then that means… it’s Kwon Hanul’s skill? No way…

The comms didn’t calm down for even a second. Eventually, Secretary Kim had to intervene.

“Quiet. You’re all talking too much.”

His voice was sharp with irritation. That should’ve done it—but no.

— Right! Secretary Kim, didn’t you see it with your Clairvoyance? Was it really Kwon Hanul’s skill?

— Spill it! What the hell just happened?!

— I’m dying of curiosity! Just tell us already!

Instead of stopping, they only got louder.

With a sigh, Secretary Kim canceled Karama’s Messenger. The chaotic voices vanished instantly.

“Can’t believe they’re relaxing just because the war’s almost over…”

He clicked his tongue. No matter how weak the enemy seemed, you never let your guard down until you finished the job.

He’d definitely have to re-educate the team when they got back.

“…Though I can’t exactly blame them either.”

Anyone who had just witnessed a black dragon ascending into the sky would’ve had the same reaction.

That overwhelming presence—it wasn’t just for show.

The destructive power was real.

The battlefield where Kwon Hanul stood now had a massive gorge torn into it.

A scar left behind from when the black dragon ascended.

“….”

There isn’t a single person in the Black Cloak Division who could block that technique.

And it wasn’t just the skill itself.

Secretary Kim had watched Kwon Hanul’s battle from beginning to end using his Clairvoyance—ready to intervene in case of danger.

But once the fight began, what unfolded was the complete opposite of what he’d expected.

“What the hell was that?”

As soon as the battle started, Kwon Hanul transformed into something else—and achieved a crushing victory.

Crushing. There’s no better word for it.

He’d suspected Hanul was hiding something powerful.

But to think he’d use it to completely overpower Jose del Pablo? That was beyond imagination.

“Even if he’s a trueblood…”

In Kim’s assessment, Jose was at least five times stronger than Hanul.

Yet Hanul closed that massive gap in an instant. No—he didn’t just close it. He surpassed it.

“Is that even possible…?”

Kim found himself shuddering.

***

Kwon Hanul lowered his outstretched hands, surveying the destruction he had caused.

What was once flat land had become a deep canyon.

It was the aftermath of the "Black Dragon Ascension Art” tearing through the ground.

[Disengaging the power of Sacred Beast Bloodline.]

[Reverting from Half-Incarnation state.]

His body returned to normal. The overwhelming power that had surged through him vanished in an instant.

“Ugh…”

He let out a groan and collapsed, arms and legs sprawled.

“That… was insane.”

Even he was in awe of the Half-Incarnation’s power.

His muscles, bones, even internal organs had transformed and aligned in perfect harmony.

The force it produced was nothing short of terrifying.

“And this isn’t even complete yet.”

This wasn’t a full Incarnation.

Because of the combined bloodlines of the Sacred Beast and the Black Dragon, Hanul had only managed to approximate a true Incarnation.

But even that was enough to treat Jose like a child.

Now he understood why the previous head of the Mei clan had been so shocked after seeing Kwon Seonwoo’s Incarnation.

“It’s strong, no doubt… but it’s got some serious downsides too.”

First, while in Half-Incarnation, he couldn’t access any bloodlines besides the Black Dragon.

Not a big issue, given how powerful that state was.

But the second drawback was far worse.

‘…All my bloodlines are dormant.’

Not just the Black Dragon Bloodline—all of them.

No matter how hard he tried, none of them responded.

Eventually, they’d reawaken. But it would take time.

“It really has to be a last-resort move.”

A powerful trump card—but one with a high price.

At that moment, he sensed someone approaching. GG had returned.

“…You won,” GG said, voice trembling.

Hanul smiled faintly.

“He’s still alive. Wanna get your revenge?”

He gestured toward the bottom of the canyon.

Lying there, battered and broken, was Jose del Pablo.

“He’s alive…?”

“I was going to kill him, but then I remembered what Aunt Kwon Mi said—how he might still be useful alive.”

In the moment he used the technique,Hanul had recalled her words and adjusted his attack.

Thanks to that, Jose avoided a fatal blow and survived.

“…No.”

GG shook his head.

“You’re the one who defeated Jose del Pablo. I wouldn’t dare interfere.”

“I’ll let you land a few punches though,” Hanul said with a grin.

GG chuckled.

“By the way, that form you took just now…”

He stopped mid-sentence. Now wasn’t the time to ask.

“…Thank you.”

He dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the ground.

“Thanks to you, I’ve avenged my family… no, my people.”

And that wasn’t all.

“You also saved my life.”

Hanul scratched his cheek, clearly uncomfortable with the gratitude.

“Raise your head.”

“I can’t look my savior in the eye.”

What a stiff person, he thought. He’d probably get along well with Joo Hayun.

“If you’re that grateful… would you do me a few favors?”

“Anything.”

Hanul opened his subspace and took out a set of restraints.

“Could you cuff Jose with this? As you can see, I’m in no condition to do it myself.”

“Of course.”

“And also—this is just a suggestion—but… want to join my team?”

Gg’s eyes widened.

Hanul just shrugged.

“We’re short on people. And you’re ridiculously talented.”

GG had already proven himself—both as a dungeon guide and a fighter, possessing the Pure Sacred Beast Blood.

“You can say no, if it’s too much.”

He held out his hand. GG stared at it for a moment.

“…I’ll do my best.”

And he took his hand.

Shortly after GG cuffed Jose del Pablo—

“AAAAAGHH!!”

He regained consciousness and immediately let out a gut-wrenching scream. A mix of despair and rage.

“M-my arms! No! This can’t be happening!”

Both arms were gone—severed clean from the shoulders.

Hanul’s attack had spared his life—but not much else.

“God, you’re loud.”

Hanul winced at the noise.

Jose glared at him with murder in his eyes.

Even in this high-tech age of relics and magic, regenerating lost limbs was nearly impossible.

So his rage made sense.

“You look pissed. Keep that up, and I might finish the job.”

But the moment Hanul met his eyes, Jose looked away. His face went pale. He trembled.

“…I-it’s not over.”

Still, he kept talking.

“The Godfather is still out there! As long as he lives, the Union will never fall!”

“Oh, that guy?”

“‘That guy’?! Don’t talk about the Godfather like that!”

“He’s probably been captured by now.”

Jose’s eyes widened.

“W-what are you talking about?”

“My aunt, Kwon Mi, went after him herself,” Hanul said casually. “She said she was gonna crush him properly.”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]