Chapter 131

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 131: The Gap (1)

At the name Hyukcheon, the two bloodline members instantly froze.

Whether they should run or fight, they needed to choose—but fear kept them paralyzed.

“What’s wrong? Why are you just standing there?”

Kwon Jiseok glanced at them as he asked. But the two could not bring themselves to answer.

“Hmph.”

He clicked his tongue in disdain and waved his hand.

“Scram.”

The two looked at him in disbelief.

“What’s the point of killing guys who don’t even want to fight? Just get lost.”

They exchanged glances, then turned their backs and bolted toward the docked boat.

But they never made it.

Someone blocked their path.

A man fell from the sky and grabbed both their heads with outstretched hands.

“Huh?”

Their heads were torn off before they could even react—no time to scream, no time to feel pain. Just like that, two lives were gone.

The man threw the severed heads far away and turned to face Kwon Jiseok.

“I told you, didn’t I? Don’t show mercy to the enemy.”

Kwon Jiseok’s expression hardened at the rebuke.

“Still, there’s no need to kill them unnecessarily…”

“Idiot.”

The man spoke coldly.

“What did Father say when he took you back in? That from now on, you must be prepared to stain your hands with blood. How long has it been since you heard that? And already you’re spouting this pathetic nonsense?”

Jiseok lowered his head. His voice trembled as he finally spoke.

“...Hyung, I was wrong.”

“I don’t need apologies. Just live up to Father’s expectations. That’s the only way you’ll ever repay the grace he showed you.”

Kwon Jiseok was now incomparably stronger than in the past.

All of his stats were S-rank. He was equipped with powerful skills and rare artifacts. Thanks to that, he had just taken down a Diamond-grade monster in a single blow.

It was all made possible by his father, Kwon Hyuk’s, support.

“I won’t say it again. Remember this.”

The man—Kwon Chan-seong—patted Jiseok’s shoulder. It was a human hand, but to Jiseok, it felt as cold as steel.

Just then—

From the direction of the Blaga family’s territory, enormous birds with sleek wings appeared in the sky.

“Wingcutters? Those are Diamond-grade monsters!”

Chan-seong sounded genuinely surprised. But that wasn’t all.

From beneath the sea, large merfolk were swimming toward them.

King Mermaids. Also Diamond-grade monsters.

“So this is the power of the Blaga family… Impressive.”

He had heard about their Authority, but seeing it firsthand was still shocking.

Diamond-grade monsters are so dangerous that even a nation would classify them as a national-level threat.

And yet they weren’t just summoning one or two—but controlling entire swarms.

“Ah, can you all hear me?”

Chan-seong activated the wireless earpiece in his ear. Dozens of voices responded.

—We hear you. Should we exterminate the monsters?

“We don’t have time to waste on those things. Everyone, hold position.”

Chan-seong raised his hand high toward the sky. From his shoulder, energy resembling a dragon’s fury coiled around his forearm and hand.

Black Dragon Twelve Ascendant Techniques – Upper Form

Eradication Style: Severing Boundary

He swung his hand down with force. Instantly, sky and sea split apart on either side.

Then, he swung horizontally, tracing a black line between the sky and the sea.

A black cross divided heaven and earth into four.

And when that cross faded…

Not a single monster remained.

They were completely erased—without even a trace.

“That was easy.”

Chan-seong dusted off his hands. Jiseok stood frozen in shock.

He knew his brother was powerful—but not this powerful. Annihilating hundreds of Diamond-class monsters in a single instant?

“The path is clear. Everyone, charge.”

The troops began to move. Jiseok followed, preparing to run—

“Jiseok.”

Chan-seong called out.

“Don’t forget your promise to Father.”

Before coming here, Jiseok had made a vow to Kwon Hyuk:

To do everything in his power to support Chan-seong’s plan.

All of the support he had received from his father was in exchange for that promise.

“...Understood,” Jiseok replied quietly. “If I find Kwon Hanul, I’ll inform you first.”

* * *

“...Hyukcheon has arrived?”

Deep within the Blaga family's compound—

Catalina Blaga furrowed her brow at the messenger’s report.

“That’s odd. They shouldn’t have found us this fast.”

Hyukcheon’s intelligence network was excellent. But the Blaga family's counter-intelligence and concealment were even better.

They had calculated that it would take at least a week for Hyukcheon to locate them.

“Did I underestimate them? What’s Hyukcheon’s force composition? What’s the situation?”

“We haven’t confirmed their numbers yet. The first defensive line is currently holding them off at the shore!”

Hundreds of Diamond-grade monsters stood in their way.

They wouldn’t stop Hyukcheon forever, but they’d buy some time.

Catalina tapped her finger on the table, deep in thought.

“Follow the manual. Evacuate all non-combatants. The rest of the bloodline and blood bounds, send them to the front li—”

Just then, another messenger burst through the door. Dirt-covered and panting hard, he shouted:

“Th-they’re here!”

His voice trembled with panic.

“Hyukcheon has reached the main house!”

Catalina’s shoulder flinched. That was way too fast.

“A-and! Also...!”

Struggling to breathe, the messenger scratched at his throat but kept talking.

“We’ve confirmed the identity of Hyukcheon’s commander!”

“...Who is it?”

“It’s Kwon Chan-seong!”

Catalina’s eyes widened. She was speechless.

The messenger shouted in her stead:

“One of Hyukcheon’s strongest has come!”

Her thoughts snapped back into motion.

Her first question: Why Chan-seong?

Sure, Kwon Myung-woo had stepped away to pursue remnants of the Mei family, but Hyukcheon still had plenty of elite hunters.

So why him, of all people?

“...No way.”

Kwon Hanul’s face suddenly came to mind, along with a terrible suspicion.

Catalina spoke to the empty air:

“K.”

—Awaiting orders.

“Tell every Shadow Knight—”

She spoke sharply:

“Stop Hyukcheon. No matter what it takes.”

* * *

“Aaaargh!”

“S-somebody help!”

Screams echoed across the Blaga family estate.

Hyukcheon’s hunters had descended suddenly, destroying buildings and slaughtering the bloodline.

“Please, spare me!”

“Gahhh!”

Hyukcheon didn’t discriminate. Every enemy was cut down. Blood splattered in every direction without pause.

Not that the Blaga family didn’t resist.

“Stop them! Don’t let them through!”

“Kill them!”

The family’s blood bounds and monsters kept charging in.

They had hundreds in their defense force, while Hyukcheon had barely twenty.

And yet—

“Aaaaagh!”

They weren’t just failing to hold them back—they couldn’t even slow the massacre.

“...Monsters.”

A Blaga bloodline member with a severed arm muttered with a trembling voice:

“D-demons... They’ve come to wipe us out…”

And before he could finish the sentence—his head exploded.

‘Where the hell is that bastard?’

Even in the middle of battle, Kwon Jiseok’s eyes kept scanning.

‘I need to find Kwon Hanul before my brother does.’

It wasn’t about claiming credit. There was something he had to tell him.

“You bastard!”

A Blaga bloodline member jumped out from behind a building, hand extended, activating his Authority.

“Be swallowed by illusion—and die!”

Jiseok didn’t even flinch. He simply drove his fist into the man’s abdomen. The bloodline member collapsed, vomiting everything in his stomach.

“I don’t have time for this.”

Jiseok turned to walk away. But the man shouted, grinding his teeth:

“Wh-when they arrive… You devils will all be dead! You monsters!”

Jiseok stopped in his tracks.

It nagged at him—too specific to be just a sore loser’s rant.

“‘They’?”

“Yes! When they come… the Shadow Knights…!”

Just then, an ominous presence appeared behind him.

Jiseok spun around.

Someone stood not far away.

“…Who the hell are you?”

The man replied in a flat tone.

“K.”

Jiseok tilted his head in confusion.

Then the man added:

“Shadow Knight.”

* * *

Kwon Jiseok swallowed hard.

Back when he was in Hyukcheon, he’d heard the name a few times—something about a group within the Blaga family.

A terrifying force, powerful enough that even the most elite hunters of Hyukcheon kept their distance.

Their name was unmistakable: Shadow Knights.

“K!”

A member of the Blaga bloodline cried out in delight. The man called K didn’t even turn his head.

“Run. Now.”

“R-right, got it!”

The bloodline member quickly fled in a panic, leaving only Kwon Jiseok and K behind.

“…I heard Shadow Knghts was a knight order. Where are the rest of them?”

“They’ve already headed to the battlefield. By now, they’re probably slaughtering your people in Hyukcheon.”

Kwon Jiseok let out a dry laugh.

Slaughter? Slaughter Kwon Chan-seong’s team?

“This really isn’t the time for you to be mocking me.”

K took off his cloak, revealing the leather armor underneath.

At the same time, the energy he had been concealing surged outward. Kwon Jiseok instinctively shut his eyes tight.

K’s aura was so overwhelming it felt like staring into the sun—it physically hurt to look.

Even with the strength he’d gained thanks to his father’s support, there was no way he could fight this man. Forget fighting—he couldn't even run.

And then—

“What’s the point of toying with someone so beneath you? There’s no fun in that.”

A familiar voice spoke.

Kwon Jiseok slowly turned his head.

Kwon Chan-seong was standing there.

“H-hyung…?”

Jiseok called out in shock. Chan-seong didn’t even glance at him.

“Go do your job.”

Jiseok hesitated for a second, then quickly took off. He knew full well he’d only get in the way if he stayed.

“Kwon Chan-seong.”

K spoke in a low voice. Chan-seong bowed deeply.

“It’s an honor to greet a grand senior.”

“You know who I am?”

“Yes, you’re none other than Chris Ben, who faced off against my father in the Sky Arena finals.”

For the first time, an expression flickered across K’s previously impassive face.

“…To hear my name from the mouth of Kwon Hyuk’s son… I never expected that.”

“And I never thought I’d meet you here. After you rose to the rank of Double Numbering, I heard you went missing during a dungeon raid…”

Chan-seong’s gaze hardened.

“I never thought I’d find you following orders from someone like Catalina Blaga.”

K’s brow twitched.

“Watch your mouth when speaking of Lady Catalina Blaga.”

“Haha! So you’re seriously following Catalina Blaga? My father would be thrilled to hear that.”

K’s face grew darker with every provocation. Chan-seong only looked more amused.

“Still got some pride left, huh?”

“You arrogant brat. There’s nothing you won’t say.”

“Anyone would have a lot to say if they saw the pathetic state you’re in now, Senior.”

K’s killing intent surged, but Chan-seong met it head-on without so much as flinching.

“I’ll sew that filthy mouth of yours shut right here and now!”

“Ooh, scary. You plan to sew my lips shut with the same hands that used to fondle young courtesans?”

At last, K snapped. He drew the twin longswords strapped to his back.

A deep violet aura wrapped around the blades, blinding like condensed light.

“You bastard!”

K launched himself straight forward, swords aimed at Chan-seong’s shoulder.

In that instant, blood spurted into the air.

“…Guh!”

K coughed violently. When he looked down, he saw it—Chan-seong’s hand had pierced straight through his chest.

“H-how…”

He was the one who struck first. Chan-seong hadn’t even moved until his swords were about to land.

And yet when he came to his senses, Chan-seong’s hand was buried in his chest.

“You idiot.”

Chan-seong’s voice dripped with contempt.

“You wasted your life chasing after some whore, and now you think you can take me on?”

He gripped K’s heart. Blood spurted from K’s mouth and nose as he died.

Chan-seong pulled his hand out. K’s body crumpled to the ground.

Looking down at the corpse, Chan-seong muttered coldly, “Pathetic.”

* * *

Kwon Jiseok had already fled from the scene.

Just as he turned a corner, a hand suddenly grabbed the back of his neck.

“Guh!”

He immediately swatted the hand away and jumped back, gaining distance.

“Who the hell is it this time…?”

His eyes widened.

“Y-you?! Why are you here?!”

“That’s what I should be asking you.”

The person standing before him—

Kwon Hanul—looked at him with utter disbelief.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]