[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Chapter 111: The Sanchez Family (1)
A residential district far from the port.
A woman fell there.
After landing on the ground, Joo Hayun let out a brief sigh and murmured to herself, âI shouldâve stopped itâŠâ
Just before the giantâs fist struck, Joo Hayun had quickly cast a spell.
She protected the plane with a barrier, but it wasnât enough to completely block the giantâs punch. As a result, the plane exploded, and the people inside were scattered in all directions.
âI have to find Kwon Hanul first.â
Kwon Seonwoo had ordered Hayun to protect Hanul. Even if it cost him his life, Hanul had to be kept safe.
Just as Joo Hayun was about to use magic to search for Hanulâ
Suddenly, the surroundings grew noisy.
âWhat was that?â
âSomething just exploded in the sky!â
Startled by the sudden commotion, the townspeople began coming out of their homes one by one.
âShould we call the police?â
âLetâs just watch a bit longer.â
âBut whoâs that Asian woman?â
A few residents spotted Hayun and stared curiously. She was a face they'd never seen before.
Then it happened.
Something fell from the sky. The ground cracked apart, and the entire area shook.
âKyaaah!â
âW-what the hell!â
Thankfully, no one was caught in the impact. The townspeople stared in shock at the spot where the object had landed.
From within the deep crater, someone walked out. In that instant, the village was engulfed in silence.
â...That's Maria Sanchez of Superhuman Bloodline.â
âWhy is the Butcher of the Sanchez family here?!â
âH-how should I know?! Run for your lives!â
The villagers screamed and fled in a wave, like a receding tide.
âBeing famous is such a pain.â
Maria Sanchez spoke playfully as she turned to face Joo Hayun.
âLong time no see. Been doing well?â
Hayun glared coldly at her.
âSo it was you.â
âI came to fulfill the promise we made in Japan. Today, we settle this.â
âWhy did you attack Hyukcheon?â
Hayunâs tone was icy, as if uninterested in anything else.
âTired of living? If you wanted to die, you shouldâve just taken poison somewhere quiet instead of dragging Hyukcheon into it.â
âAh, that? Couldnât be helped. The young lord you serve happens to have something we want.â
âYou mean the prize from the underground arena?â
Maria wasnât particularly surprised.
She had already expected that Kwon Hanul, having realized who they were, would figure out that much.
âWhatâs so special about that teacup that youâd go this far?â
âThatâs a secret. Iâm not telling, so donât bother asking.â
A sinister grin stretched across Mariaâs face, almost reaching her ears.
âBut I can tell you something elseâlike whatâs happening to Hyukcheonâs scattered bloodline right now.â
At those words, a twitch appeared in Hayunâs eyes.
âIâve sent members of the Sanchez family after them. Theyâre probably all dead by now.â
âRidiculous. Do you really think people like them would fall to the Sanchez family?â
Maria gave a twisted smile.
âStill going to say that after hearing who I brought with me? I brought a lot. Letâs name a fewâŠâ
She folded her fingers one by one as she listed off names.
With each name, Hayunâs face hardened more and more.
âImpressive list, huh?â
ââŠYou dragged the Sanchez familyâs elite combat force into this? Are you insane?â
âIf you want to save your precious Kwon Hanul, youâd better get moving. He wonât last long.â
Oh, thatâs rightâ
Maria clapped her hands with an exaggerated expression.
âOr who knows, maybe heâs already dead by now.â
In that moment, fury exploded from within Joo Hayun.
Her magic surged out of control, bursting outward. Everything it touched twisted and crumbled. The nearby buildings all collapsed.
ââŠEven seeing it again, itâs terrifying.â
Even Maria Sanchez couldnât help but tense up at that overwhelming display.
âYou really are the Witch of Hyukcheon.â
In this world, there are people called wizards and witches.
They handle the mysterious knowledge known as âmagic,â brought to Earth through the dungeons.
Though similar to hunters in their use of mana, they are fundamentally different.
Magic is not a skill. It cannot be acquired via a system windowâonly through knowledge.
Even then, not everyone who learns the knowledge can wield magic.
To become a wizard or witch, one needs a unique talent known as a Gift.
Joo Hayun was one of those few.
In fact, she might be even more special than the rest.
She wielded dimensional magicâa branch of magic known only to her, anywhere in the world.
âDid you know? Aeon is still obsessed with you.â
Aeonâan organization formed by wizards and witches.
It is said to possess all the magic in the world, yet even Aeon doesnât have dimensional magic.
Thatâs why, in the past, Aeon tried every coercive tactic imaginable to bring Joo Hayun into their fold.
âGuess I should get ready too.â
Maria Sanchezâs body began to grow.
Her bones lengthened, her muscles swelled. The once delicate woman transformed into a 3-meter-tall mass of muscle.
âHooâŠâ
Maria summoned her mana. A pale mist wrapped around her.
âShall we finish what we started last time?â
In a blink, Maria Sanchez had closed the distance and stood before Hayun.
She raised both fists high, and the mist around her formed a shape.
A giant, formed entirely of mist, appeared behind her. It mimicked her exactlyâsame fists, same posture.
âHraah!â
With Mariaâs shout, the giant slammed its fists down.
* * *
Meanwhile, Kwon Hanul withdrew his fist.
Before him lay Marcos Sanchez, beaten to a pulp.
As Hanul examined him, he realizedâ
âHeâs alive?â
There was still a faint breath.
Marcos hadnât died. He was merely unconscious.
âHow is he still breathing?â
Spiral Waveâa technique that releases swirling dragon demon aura to destroy the target from within.
And yet Marcos had survived it. Truly, the durability of a Superhuman Bloodline was impressive.
âCanât let him walk away.â
To finish him off, Hanul raised a knife-hand strike aimed at Marcosâs chestâready to pierce straight through his heart.
But then, Hanul froze.
ââŠWhat?â
Once he relaxed his body, he could move again. Confused, he raised his hand again.
But the moment he resolved to kill Marcos, his body froze once more.
âWhat the hell is thisâŠ?â
Then, a message appeared before his eyes:
<The âSuperhuman Bloodlineâ rejects your decision.>
That was the cause. The Superhuman Bloodline itself was interfering with Hanulâs intent to kill.
<A prohibition of the âSuperhuman Bloodlineâ has been triggered!>
<A higher-tier Superhuman Bloodline cannot kill a lower-tier Superhuman Bloodline.>
Hanul stared at the message, dumbfounded.
âThey were mad about the hierarchy violation during the underground arena match, and now thisâŠâ
So apparently, the Superhuman Bloodline forbids not just insubordination from lower to higher tiers, but also the reverse.
âUnbelievable.â
Hanul had heard that some bloodlines possessed taboos, but he hadnât imagined that would include the Superhuman Bloodline.
Considering Joo Hayun had never mentioned this, it must have been a well-kept secret even within the Sanchez family.
âThis is ridiculous.â
Still, he couldnât just let Marcos live.
Marcos Sanchez had shown open hostility toward Hyukcheon. He had to be eliminated.
âYou really gonna do this?â Hanul grumbled. The Superhuman Bloodline gave no answer.
Then, a thought struck him.
Hanul opened a subspace and took out a ring, slipping it onto his finger.
<You have equipped the Ring of Lust.>
<The Authority of âVassal Bloodlineâ is greatly enhanced.>
The Ring of Lust had different effects depending on which finger it was worn on.
The fourth fingerâs ability was to weaken the targetâs mental resistance, making them easier to dominate.
Hanul reached toward Marcos Sanchez.
And thenâ
âUgh⊠UrghâŠâ
Marcos regained consciousness.
To wake up so quickly was a testament to his iron will.
âW-what happened⊠Ughâ!â
But due to his internal injuries, he vomited blood the moment he came to.
Only after spitting up a handful of blood did he realize Hanul was standing right in front of him.
âK-Kwon HanâMmph!â
Hanul immediately grabbed Marcos by the face and invoked his bloodline ability.
<Activating the Authority of âVassal Bloodlineâ.>
<The Ring of Lust shakes the targetâs mind.>
The domination power of Vassal Bloodline pierced into Marcosâs mind.
But Marcos did not yield so easily.
<Unable to dominate the target!>
<The targetâs mental strength is too strong!>
The Vassal Bloodlineâs ability was powerfulâbut not easily used.
Controlling someone as strong as Marcos was nearly impossible.
But Hanul had used it anywayâfor a reason.
<True Superhuman Bloodline suppresses Pure Superhuman Bloodline!>
<The power of the Pure Superhuman Bloodline is greatly weakened!>
The True Superhuman Bloodline Hanul possessed overwhelmed both Marcos and his Pure Superhuman Bloodline.
Marcosâs pupils trembled violently.
<âVassal Bloodlineâ has dominated the target.>
<You have successfully dominated a remarkably powerful target!>
<Synchronization rate of âVassal Bloodlineâ has increased!>
<21% â 27%>
Hanul released Marcosâs face. The manâs eyes were dazed.
âHow long are you planning to keep your head up?â
At that, Marcos immediately slammed his forehead to the ground.
Seeing the once-proud Marcos fully submit, Hanul curled one corner of his mouth.
âSo it does work.â
Hanul was pleased.
Marcos Sanchez was not only a powerful fighter but also a key figure within the Sanchez family.
The fact that he now controlled such a person was more than satisfying.
âMarcos!â
Just then, two men came running up with a shout.
Other members of the Sanchez bloodline had come to assist.
âThe more pawns, the better, right?â
Hanul flexed his ring-clad fingers.
âMight as well raise the Vassal Blood Synchronization rate while Iâm at it.â
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]