Chapter 140 - Bloodline is Everything

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 140: Monarch (3)

Even after hearing those words, Kwon Seonwoo didn’t explode in anger. He merely asked in a cold, emotionless voice, “Why did you give such an order? That boy is your nephew, isn’t he?”

Ironically, it was Kwon Hyuk who displayed emotion. He let out a hollow laugh for a while before replying, “Father, are you seriously asking me that? Or have you finally lost your mind?”

Kwon Seonwoo's eyebrow twitched. But even then, Hyuk didn’t stop talking.

“Isn’t that what you’ve always demanded of me?”

Prove your worth. Protect that value. Even if it means killing your own blood.

“All I did was follow the path you laid out.”

“Don’t use me as an excuse to justify your actions. What I wanted was competition. Not for a senior of the clan, like you, to trample on a young sprout with overwhelming power.”

Kwon Seonwoo’s voice turned razor-sharp. Hyuk only shrugged.

“Competition, you say? That’s exactly what I did. Hanul would have eventually grown strong enough to threaten my position. So I acted first. That’s all.”

“Still spouting that nonsense…”

“What I don’t understand is this—weren’t you the one who killed Hanul’s father, Cheon, in much the same way?”

At that, Kwon Seonwoo’s eyes widened as if they might pop out. He glared at Hyuk like he could kill him on the spot.

“You let Cheon die like that, so why stop me? Shouldn’t you be praising me instead?”

Seonwoo’s body began to tremble.

“If Cheon could see your actions from the afterlife, he’d be speechless. Why kill him if you were going to act like this…”

“Silence!”

Kwon Seonwoo’s roar shook the room. Every glass window shattered.

“Ah, I may have gone too far with that one.”

Hyuk still spoke with a calm air. Meanwhile, Seonwoo was visibly heaving with heavy breaths.

“So then, what punishment will you hand down to me?” Hyuk asked without a shred of fear.

He had reigned for many years as the Vice Chairman of Hyukcheon. The influence he had accumulated over that time was not something even Kwon Seonwoo could dismiss lightly.

In terms of sheer combat ability, he was known as the third strongest in Hyukcheon, right after Kwon Seonwoo and Kwon Myung-woo.

But that wasn’t why Hyuk could speak so boldly.

“Are you going to kill me with your own hands, just like you did with Cheon?”

A shadow fell over Seonwoo’s face. He finally spoke in a low voice, “...This matter will be buried.”

Slowly, Seonwoo rose to his feet. Was it just the mood? Somehow, he seemed smaller than ever.

“But only this once. If you so much as lay a finger on Hanul again… I’ll kill you myself.”

Even his warning felt devoid of strength. Seonwoo turned and began to walk toward the door.

Hyuk called out to him.

“Why do you care so much about Hanul? Is it because he’s a Trueblood? Or…”

Seonwoo halted.

“Is it because he’s Cheon’s son?”

Seonwoo slowly turned around. Staring Hyuk down, he spoke curtly, “You don’t need to know.”

“Come now, at least give me an answer. Otherwise, how am I supposed to gauge your intentions going forw—”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

A deadly aura radiated from Seonwoo’s entire being. In that instant, Hyuk felt a crushing pain, as if an invisible hand had gripped his heart.

He couldn’t even breathe.

Frozen in place, Hyuk could only stare at Seonwoo.

“Remember my warning.”

The door slowly closed behind him.

Even after Seonwoo left, Hyuk remained seated, unable to move.

“...Heh.”

As the tension left him, a laugh escaped his lips.

“Father’s still got it.”

The ruler of Hyukcheon, one of the few living wielders of the Incarnation Physique in history.

Hyuk, despite being Hyukcheon’s third strongest, was still no match for him in raw power.

“Whew.”

To calm his nerves, Hyuk grabbed a bottle of liquor. He poured it into a glass with a few ice cubes and brought it to his lips.

The harsh aroma of the alcohol spread through his body, finally putting a stop to his trembling.

“So even the great Chairman of Hyukcheon is still a father, after all.”

He had believed that even Kwon Seonwoo wouldn’t be able to overcome familial bonds.

That prediction had hit the mark.

“What an irony. The master of Hyukcheon, that devilish man… is still human. Still a father. All because of Cheon, huh?”

Hyuk let out a low chuckle. The laugh of a man who had won.

“Still… I can’t quite wrap my head around this. Catalina Blaga turned Chan-seong into a vegetable?”

He recalled Kwon Jisuk’s recent report.

The Blaga family had been nearly annihilated by an assault led by Kwon Chan-seong and the Black Aura Unit.

But due to the resistance from Catalina and the Blaga elders, Chan-seong had ended up incapacitated, and the Black Aura Unit had taken heavy losses.

In the end, Jisuk had ordered the Black Aura Unit to retreat from the battlefield with Hanul.

“Catalina Blaga… she was always a tough one.”

Catalina had always been a woman shrouded in mystery—like a fox with nine tails.

She’d toyed with people for years, a master of manipulation and intrigue.

This time, thanks to the suspicious number of openings she’d shown, they were able to trap her—but under normal circumstances, that would’ve been unthinkable.

“She shouldn’t have been able to beat Chan-seong, though.”

In terms of raw combat skill, Catalina wasn’t all that impressive.

Sure, she might rank in the world’s top 20, but for someone who led a prestigious family, her strength was sorely lacking.

“Damn it. Tools as competent and tight-lipped as Chan-seong aren’t easy to come by.”

The loss was severe.

Hyuk clicked his tongue and looked up at the ceiling.

“Everyone tied to Kwon Hanul ends up in ruin, huh…”

He never imagined he himself would be included in that group.

“What a curse…”

Suddenly, Hyuk realized something.

His hand, gripping the glass, was trembling violently.

The moment he noticed it, all the emotions he’d been suppressing surged out at once.

“Goddamn it!”

He flung the glass across the room. It shattered against the wall.

Old memories came rushing back—when he’d lost to Cheon during their rivalry, when his father had looked at him with disdain.

He’d felt this same way back then.

“Father or son… both exist only to stand in my way.”

His teeth clenched involuntarily. He pressed a hand to his face, his skin twisting like it might tear.

“One day… I’ll make you suffer the same fate.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Kwon Jisuk had already left the island with the Black Aura members. He had to report to Hyukcheon as quickly as possible.

Kwon Hanul, on the other hand, had no choice but to remain on the island until his Trueblood powers fully recovered. Once that was done, his plan was to head straight to the Sky Battle Arena.

So while he recovered...

“Pick one. Which outfit do you like?”

…he had become Catalina Blaga’s new toy.

More than fifty attendants lined up before Hanul, each holding an outfit. The room was so large that this scene was somehow possible.

“These are pieces designed by the Blaga family’s in-house designers. Not only do they look good, but they’re made from monster leather—top-notch in both form and function.”

Hanul stared at the clothes with a less-than-thrilled expression.

“What’s with all the clothes?”

“Oh come on, I told you already. You don’t have to be so formal with me. A Trueblood doesn’t need to speak politely to someone like me.”

“I’m comfortable this way. And why exactly do I need to pick an outfit?”

“You’re going to show your face to the world at the Sky Battle Arena. Obviously, appearance matters.”

“I’ll be wearing armor anyway, won’t I?”

He still had the Blackriver Set Catalina had given him—it was more than enough.

Although he sustained considerable damage while fighting Kwon Chan-seong, his body fully recovered thanks to the auto-regeneration function.

“Are you really going to keep wearing that outfit all the time? Of course not. Celebrities are supposed to be mindful of how they look even off stage.”

Catalina Blaga chided him gently. Kwon Hanul was dumbfounded.

“Why do you care about that…?”

“You’re the head of the Blaga family now, aren’t you? It’s only natural that someone below you takes care of these things.”

For someone who had once been the de facto ruler of the Blaga family, she didn’t hesitate to call herself a subordinate.

Kwon Hanul looked at her with suspicion. Due to the nature of the Vassal Bloodline, lower bloodlines couldn’t defy higher ones—but if it was Catalina Blaga, she might have her own schemes.

“Don’t you find it humiliating? Some kid who doesn't even come close to what you’ve achieved in life suddenly inherits the family.”

He intentionally touched a nerve to probe her real feelings.

Sure enough, the smile disappeared from Catalina Blaga’s face.

“It is humiliating.”

“I thought so, too—”

“What did you just say? I don’t come close to your life experience? Do you think I’m that old?”

She was upset—but oddly, not about what he expected.

“Well, I am older, but… there are some things you just shouldn’t say!”

“S-Sorry.”

“As long as you realize that.”

Only after he apologized did her expression soften.

“I understand why you’d ask something like that. It’s because of what happened in Hyukcheon, right? Even though they knew you were a Trueblood, those blasphemers still refused to submit.”

A subtle fury appeared on Catalina Blaga’s face.

“Please don’t lump us in with those kinds of people. The Blaga family exists solely to serve the Trueblood.”

She stepped down from her chair and knelt on the floor, grasping Kwon Hanul’s hand resting on the bed.

“Please, don’t doubt us.”

Her hands trembled slightly. Only then did Kwon Hanul realize she was afraid.

The idea of being cast aside by a Trueblood was terrifying to her.

“…Alright.”

He could only respond with an awkward expression.

Catalina Blaga beamed.

“Well then, shall we pick out your clothes now?”

“No, that’s a bit much… and I’m not even sure they’ll fit me—”

“No need to worry. They were made precisely to your measurements.”

“You had clothes made… to fit me?”

Kwon Hanul frowned. He had never once had his measurements taken while staying with the Blagas.

“I figured that out a long time ago. Just a small detail,” she said with a smile.

A chill ran down Kwon Hanul’s spine.

In the end, he had no choice but to become her dress-up doll for a while under Catalina Blaga’s persistent pressure.

He was finally resting after narrowly escaping her fashion tyranny, when—

“By the way…”

Catalina Blaga spoke again. Kwon Hanul flinched.

“What now.”

“No need to be so startled… I just wanted to ask if it’s really necessary for you to participate in the Sky Arena.”

He let out a breath of relief.

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, the Sky Arena is a grand event and all… but to be blunt, it’s not really at your level, is it?”

“That’s a misunderstanding,” Kwon Hanul replied firmly. “The reason I’m strong is because I possess multiple bloodlines. But in the Sky Arena, I’m only allowed to use my Black Dragon Bloodline.”

He could still use latent powers not visible on the surface, but there was no denying his combat strength would drop significantly.

“Even the True Black Dragon Bloodline is powerful, sure, but I won’t be able to show the overwhelming strength I had when I fought Kwon Chan-seong.”

Despite his explanation, Catalina Blaga tilted her head.

“I don’t know… Even if you hold back, I doubt there’s anyone in the Sky Arena who could withstand a direct hit from you.”

Kwon Hanul couldn’t argue with that.

After all, this was a judgment coming from Catalina Blaga—the one known as the Collector of Humans.

“In my opinion, the Sky Arena is more of a shackle. You’ve only got three stats at S-rank right now, right?”

That was because the Arena’s entry requirement was exactly three S-rank stats.

“But if you raised all your stats to S-rank, your overall level would skyrocket.”

This held true for all rankings:

A person’s true potential revealed itself when all their stats were balanced at the same level.

S-rank was no exception. Having one was amazing—but when everything reached S-rank, the result was far more powerful.

“You make a fair point. But I have to enter the Sky Arena.”

His first reason was to gather the materials needed for Rebirth. Kwon Seonwoo had promised to supply all those materials if Kwon Hanul joined the Arena.

The second reason was to make his name known. Only then could he expand his influence within the Hyukcheon clan.

“If that’s truly your will, then I won’t try to stop you.”

Catalina Blaga didn’t try to persuade him further. She only gave advice—she had no intention of interfering with his actions.

“Then I’d better start preparing the elixirs for after the Arena ends.”

“Elixirs?”

“Once the Arena is over, you can raise your stats freely again, right?”

Catalina spoke with excitement, just imagining it.

“The head of the Blaga family can’t be given just any elixir. I’ll make sure they’re ones that grant special traits.”

With the Blaga family’s wealth—recognized worldwide—gathering S-rank elixirs would be no trouble.

“Do you happen to have any SS-rank elixirs?”

At that question, Catalina Blaga’s face stiffened.

“There was only one…”

“Oh?”

“You used it during your fight with Kwon Chan-seong.”

“…Oh.”

Kwon Hanul let out a regretful groan. Back then, he’d consumed Amrita to restore his body. In hindsight, it had been a terrible waste.

“SS-rank elixirs are extremely hard to come by. Even our Blaga family has only acquired three in the past century.”

Even S-rank elixirs were considered treasures within the Hyukcheon clan. SS-rank was on another level entirely.

“But I’ll try my best.”

“Don’t worry about the elixirs right now. The family transfer is a more urgent matter.”

“But still—”

“Did you forget? There’s another way to get them within the Hyukcheon clan…”

That’s when it happened.

<…>

Mana surged within Kwon Hanul’s body, accompanied by a cascade of messages.

As all his bloodlines returned, the dormant senses came back to life.

He stepped down from the bed and moved his body lightly. Then, smiling in satisfaction, he said, “Now this is more like it.”

Finally, he was ready to enter the Sky Arena.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]