Chapter 100

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 100: Naming Battle (1)

“We must punish Kwon Hanul immediately!”

A dark room.

On the wall, a massive screen displayed countless faces in a video conference.

One of them—a man at the center—raised his voice.

“Kwon Hanul grossly overstepped his authority on this mission! We sent him to secure the dungeon, and instead he started a war!”

The other faces on the monitor nodded in agreement.

“Do you know how many complaints we had to deal with because of this? Even the South Korean government asked us to rein him in!”

With great power comes great responsibility.

The blatant invasion of South America by the Hyukcheon Group had provoked numerous factions.

They had struggled immensely just to smooth things over.

“This is all Kwon Hanul’s fault! We absolutely cannot let this slide—Chairman?”

The man looked confused when he called out, but Chairman Kwon Seonwoo gave no reply.

He was staring at a tablet instead of paying attention to the screen.

“Chairman!”

When the man shouted again, Seonwoo finally looked up.

“Ah, did you call me?”

“What are you even watching right now?”

“This.”

Chairman Kwon Seonwoo turned his tablet to the camera.

A video was playing on the screen.

It was grainy—clearly taken from a distance on a smartphone—but the content was unmistakable.

In the video, two men were fighting.

One held a jagged stone blade in his hand.

The other had horns on his forehead, scales covering his entire body—his form far removed from anything human.

“No matter how many times I watch it, it still amazes me.”

“Chairman, that’s not what’s important right now—”

“You’ve all seen it too, haven’t you? Well then, let’s hear your thoughts.”

Silence fell.

As Kwon Seonwoo said, everyone here had seen the video—and that’s exactly why no one could speak.

It was that shocking.

“You all know who Jose del Pablo is. I’m sure you investigated him after this incident.”

Jose del Pablo wasn’t a well-known name.

But his skills were indisputable.

Had he emerged beyond South America, he would’ve been ranked among the elite—earning the prestigious Triple Numbering rank as a true world-class fighter.

“To see someone of that caliber overwhelmed so easily… Truly impressive. That’s the power of the True Bloodline.”

According to Kwon Hanul’s report, this was a unique ability possessed only by the True Bloodline.

Whether it was genuine or not, there was no denying it was an extraordinary power.

“Chairman.”

The same man who had protested earlier spoke again, his face set with determination.

“This isn’t the time to praise Kwon Hanul. We need to make sure he never pulls a stunt like this again—”

“Let’s be honest with ourselves. Isn’t this all just an excuse to find fault with him?”

A second silence followed Seonwoo’s words. A smile crept onto his lips.

“Until now, none of you really took the True Bloodline seriously. You figured it was impressive, sure—but not that impressive. Isn’t that right?”

The faces on the screen were all senior elders of the Hyukcheon Group—people with power and influence.

Having already secured their positions, they hadn’t given much thought to Kwon Hanul.

“But lately, as stories of his achievements spread, you started to realize. The True Bloodline isn’t just impressive—it’s far beyond what you imagined. And if left unchecked, he could threaten your turf.”

The elders had simply wanted Kwon Hanul to be a strong warrior representing the clan.

But he wasn’t someone who’d remain “just a skilled warrior.”

It hadn’t even been a full year since Kwon Hanul joined the Hyukcheon Clan.

In that time, what kinds of enemies had he taken down? What feats had he accomplished?

“By clan law, all Purebloods must submit to the True Bloodline. But none of you have any intention of doing that, do you?”

Until now, the Purebloods had been the undisputed rulers of the Hyukcheon Clan.

They believed only they possessed the nobility and right to lead, living as revered and feared figures among the Mixed Bloods and Inferior Bloods.

So naturally, they had no intention of yielding to the True Bloodline.

“So now you’re trying to rein him in, aren’t you?”

Using this alleged abuse of authority as justification, they wanted to discipline Kwon Hanul and bend him into obedience.

That’s what the elders truly wanted.

“How petty,” Seonwoo said bluntly. “To think this was the best plan you could come up with… Has age turned the Hyukcheon bloodline into nothing more than decrepit snakes?”

The elders’ faces twisted in rage.

Even through the screen, their fury was palpable.

To show such defiance at the clan head’s words—this was insubordination in its purest form.

But Seonwoo only smiled, unbothered.

“Yes… now this is the Hyukcheon blood I know.”

The Hyukcheon Clan had risen this far on pride alone.

Their resistance wasn’t out of greed, but pride—unwillingness to bend to the True Bloodline.

“Do you want to defeat him? Then don’t scheme—act.”

The elders looked puzzled at Seonwoo’s words.

“I’ll be holding a Naming Battle soon.”

Their eyes widened.

The Naming Battle was a tradition where unrecognized units (nameless squads) fought one another. The winner would be promoted and granted an official name.

A named unit would receive vastly expanded authority—becoming a true Hyukcheon squad.

“Send your nameless squads. Defeat the True Bloodline there. Then you’ll have no more complaints, right?”

Then, someone spoke up.

“But what if the True Bloodline is seriously hurt?”

“I doubt that would happen... Ah, I see.”

Seonwoo turned to look at a man on the monitor.

He was middle-aged, with striking features—blond hair and blue eyes.

A mixed-race descendant of Hyukcheon and European lineage—Kwon Dagmar, head of the Europe branch.

“Your child recently left Chan-seong’s team to form their own unit, didn’t they?”

Kwon Chan-seong’s team was one of Hyukcheon’s elite units.

Dagmar’s child had served as Chan-seong’s right-hand.

“Without achievements, no one is eligible to receive a name. Because of that clause, my child is currently leading a nameless unit. May I enter them?”

Without hesitation, Seonwoo nodded.

“As you wish.”

“Thank you.”

With that, the meeting ended. One by one, the faces disappeared from the monitor.

Once the screen went dark, Seonwoo sighed.

“Damn… I forgot about that brat.”

He smacked his lips in annoyance.

Even someone like Kwon Seonwoo, who always seemed composed, had moments like this.

“No matter how much of a monster Kwon Hanul is… this might be tough.”

If Jose del Pablo was a firefly, Dagmar’s child was a full moon.

The difference was massive—but for good reason.

Jose del Pablo had only ever operated in the confines of South America.

Dagmar’s child, however, had been part of Kwon Chan-seong’s top-tier team.

“Hmph.”

Kwon Hanul had always done the impossible.

But this time, Seonwoo had serious doubts.

“...And yet, it’s in times like this that true value reveals itself.”

The Seonwoo of old wouldn’t have cared.

Even if this situation arose from his own mistake, a true gem shines no matter where it is. Overcoming such odds should be expected.

But still…

He picked up the phone and made a call.

No one answered. Only after several attempts did the line finally connect.

“Why did it take you so long to pick up? You said you were on vacation and had nothing to do.”

The voice on the other end grumbled. Seonwoo clicked his tongue.

“I have something I need you to handle.”

The protest was fierce—why assign work during vacation?

But Seonwoo ignored it and said, “Kwon Hanul.”

The voice went silent.

“You’ll be in charge of him and his team for now.”

***

Three days had passed since returning from Mexico.

Kwon Hanul spent that time training with Mei Hong and Kwon Hudon.

“Hah… I-I can’t go on anymore…”

“Same here…”

The two collapsed flat on the ground, soaked in sweat.

“You’re the ones who asked me for help—how can you be the first to give out?”

In contrast, Kwon Hanul looked completely unfazed. His appearance was identical to when he first entered the training hall—not even a wrinkle on his clothes.

“H-Hanul… what the heck is going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your movements—they’re nothing like before…”

“Exactly! Just a few days ago we could sort of keep up… but today it’s impossible!”

“Maybe you two are just off your game today.”

He said that, but the real reason was different.

Ever since partially awakening into a half-transformed avatar, the power of the Black Dragon Bloodline had surged.

The Black Dragon Bloodline imbued its user with the instincts of a dragon. As its power grew, those instincts sharpened—directly enhancing Kwon Hanul’s movements.

“Let’s go one more round.”

“I’m all recovered too!”

Just as the two got back up, ready for another bout, Hanul’s instincts screamed a warning.

“Get back!”

Hudon and Mei Hong didn’t sense anything—but immediately obeyed his shout and leapt aside.

A massive figure dropped from the sky.

When he landed, the ground quaked with a shockwave of overwhelming magical energy.

“Aagh!”

“Kyaa!”

The wave of force sent Hudon and Mei Hong flying.

The assailant swatted them both aside effortlessly.

“Hudon! Mei Hong!”

But Hanul had no time to check on them.

The man was already charging at him.

‘Fast—’

Before he could finish the thought, a fist was already in his face.

The pressure crushed the air around it. The sheer force was staggering.

This wasn’t an attack he could block.

Hanul twisted his waist and barely dodged the punch.

At the same time, he countered with a kick to the man’s jaw.

The angle was perfect—but Hanul was the one who reeled from the impact.

‘What is this guy made of…?’

His leg throbbed from the blow.

But there was no time to be stunned.

The attacker punched again—faster this time.

“Tch!”

No way to dodge.

Hanul crossed his arms and summoned his Dragon Aura to shield himself.

The man didn’t hesitate—he punched anyway.

‘Is he insane?’

A bare fist against Aura? The latter should’ve crushed it.

Aura was refined magical energy. No unenhanced punch could stand against it.

But—

The man’s fist shattered Hanul’s Aura.

“What?”

His defense broke, and the punch slammed into his forearms, rattling his insides.

Hanul was flung backward, coughing blood.

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on Hanul!”

A roar rang out—Hudon had recovered.

He summoned his Dragon Scale Armor, transforming into a black giant and charged.

“You shouldn’t let your guard down.”

A blade pressed against the attacker’s throat.

Mei Hong had closed in, her sword at his neck.

“Ho…”

The man let out a short chuckle.

And then—

“You two, stand down.”

Hanul said something unbelievable.

Both Hudon and Mei Hong looked at him in confusion.

Hanul sighed.

“Great-Uncle… don’t you think that was a bit much?”

The man pulled off his hood, revealing a mischievous grin.

It was Kwon Myung-woo.

“Was it that obvious?”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]