Chapter 143

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 143: A New Bloodline (1)

Henrico Bighand returned to his seat with the autograph in hand.

“This wasn’t the plan.”

A blond man spoke in an irritated voice. It was Alain de Beaure, a participant from the Blue Rose Guild.

“Weren’t we supposed to confirm whether Kwon Hanul’s reputation is real or not?”

An Asian man with glasses, Koto Hisashi, nodded in agreement.

“You were supposed to confront Kwon Hanul, and we’d take care of the rest of his team.”

A bald man nodded as well—it was Baba Boateng, the so-called Guardian of Africa.

All three were considered among the most powerful of the promising talents competing in the Sky Arena.

Originally, Henrico Bighand hadn’t approached Kwon Hanul just to get an autograph.

He had planned to verify whether all the feats surrounding Kwon Hanul were true.

Henrico was supposed to deal with Kwon Hanul himself, while the other three handled Hanul’s teammates.

“Hey, why didn’t you say anything...”

Alain de Beaure leaned over to look at Henrico, but stopped short.

Henrico Bighand—once known for his composure and integrity—looked completely terrified.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Henrico grabbed a bottle of wine from the table and started chugging straight from it.

Not satisfied, he reached for a bottle of whiskey and poured that into his mouth too.

“Something’s off.”

“What do you mean?”

“That guy… something about him isn’t right…”

All the Sky Arena participants were more or less on equal footing.

That was to be expected—the minimum requirement to enter was having three S-rank stats. Since stats were locked for the duration, there was usually not much disparity.

Of course, differences in talent, skill proficiency, equipment, and other factors could influence outcomes. But even considering that, there wasn’t supposed to be much of a gap.

That was what Henrico had believed.

“Something… something…”

He hadn’t felt it while walking toward Kwon Hanul.

Not even while standing face-to-face and talking to him.

But when he tried to set the plan in motion—

The moment he was about to pick a fight—

“Something…”

—Something appeared.

A monstrous presence. Something so chilling it was hard to describe.

His entire body froze. His mind went blank.

If it weren’t for his pride as a representative of his family, he would’ve turned around and run.

At that moment, he remembered the autograph request from his younger sibling. It became the perfect excuse to defuse the situation.

“…I won’t be participating in this Sky Arena.”

Henrico Bighand’s body began to tremble.

The three others exchanged glances. Each of their faces had gone rigid.

* * *

After Sasha Babel—the Babel family’s contestant—made her entrance, the atmosphere in the banquet hall shifted dramatically.

It was only natural now that the host had arrived.

And this was no ordinary host. The Babel family was a global power. None of the other factions present could compare.

None, perhaps, except for Kwon Hanul, who had the Hyukcheon Group behind him.

“Men, seriously…”

Mei Hong didn’t seem particularly impressed.

“Just look at them—completely entranced like idiots.”

The crowd around Sasha Babel was mostly male. Some of them were visibly infatuated.

“Well, I’m glad at least the guys on our team aren’t like that.”

At her words, Kwon Hanul gave a crooked smile and pointed to Hudon.

“Hanul! Over there, look—it’s Angela Hook! She’s an archer so skilled, she can pop a balloon from a full kilometer away!”

Having admired all the male contestants already, Kwon Hudon had moved on to the female ones.

“Hudon-oppa’s always like this.”

Mei Hong responded nonchalantly.

“But I don’t see Gael anywhere.”

“He’s over there.”

Kwon Hanul pointed toward a small crowd in the distance.

Gael Garcia, who had gone to get food, was now surrounded by women.

“You’re the one with the Sacred Beast bloodline, right?”

“Is it true you’re the last surviving member of the Garcia family?”

The women were showering Gael with questions.

“Huh, I didn’t expect Gael to be so popular.”

Objectively speaking, Gael Garcia was a handsome man with strong features and sharp eyes.

The kind of man women might find attractive. But that wasn’t what was drawing attention now.

“Would you consider joining our guild? We’ll fully support you in rebuilding your family.”

“Our family can offer the same. Come with us.”

What they truly wanted was his bloodline—his Sacred Beast bloodline.

Unlike established lineages with firm foundations, the Sacred Beast bloodline was still weak in influence. They saw it as something they could easily claim for themselves.

“Didn’t you get similar offers, Mei Hong?”

The Mei family had been annihilated. Though some remnants remained, they had no real footing anywhere.

Given that, many people would be after Mei Hong and her Shura bloodline.

“Not really.”

But Mei Hong shook her head. Kwon Hanul found that odd—until something interrupted.

“Mei Hong?”

A deep voice called out. A man with a thick beard sat down in front of her.

“If you don’t mind, could I borrow a moment of your time? I’m quite interested in you.”

He winked at her.

“……”

Mei Hong stared at him in silence, her gaze ice-cold.

“You’re free to refuse, of course. But please, give me an answer.”

“……”

“Oh… Do you not know who I am? I’m—”

“……”

She continued to glare at him with utter disinterest.

“S-Sorry to bother you.”

Eventually, the man couldn’t handle the pressure and retreated.

“So… what were we talking about again?”

Mei Hong asked as if nothing had happened, leaving Kwon Hanul unsure how to respond.

Now that he thought about it, before she became his teammate, she hadn’t really mingled with anyone.

“Mei Hong.”

“Yes?”

“Just… felt like saying your name.”

“What the heck,” She replied with mock irritation. Kwon Hanul let out a quiet laugh.

* * *

“Haa…”

Sasha Babel sank into her seat, visibly exhausted. She had just finished fending off a group of clingy men, and the ordeal had completely drained her.

“You look, um, really tired, Lady Sasha,” Shahin Rasad said, his voice full of concern.

Sasha Babel responded in a gentle tone, “I’m all right. But thank you for your concern.”

Shahin’s face turned bright red. He quickly lowered his head, trying to hide it.

“Have you been sitting here the whole time, young master Shahin?”

“Y-Yes! I, uh… I was waiting for you, Lady Sasha.”

“I’m fine now. You should go and enjoy the party.”

“N-No, it’s okay. I-I’m happy just being here like this…”

Shahin stole a glance at Sasha, but she was too busy scanning the room to notice his gaze.

“By the way, the head of the house… I mean, where’s Alia?”

“If you mean Lady Alia, she’s over there.”

Sasha followed where Shahin pointed—and immediately frowned.

“My, you own such a magnificent estate? I’m jealous.”

“Haha, it’s nothing special. If the chance arises, I’d be happy to invite you.”

“That would be lovely. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Alia Davi—formerly Dalia Babel, the matriarch of the Babel family—was engrossed in conversation with a young male hunter.

“So you say you took down an Orc Lord in a single strike? Is that even possible?”

“It’s a simple feat for someone like me. Here, take a look.”

“Oh my!”

The hunter rolled up his sleeve to show off his arm. Alia covered her mouth with her hand, feigning bashfulness.

“…Young master Shahin.”

“Yes?”

“Please pretend you didn’t see any of that.”

“…Understood.”

Sasha sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. While she was stewing in frustration, Alia Davi sent the hunter away and returned to her seat.

“These youngsters are just too cute these days. All that fuss over something as minor as taking down an Orc Lord,” Alia chuckled.

Sasha shot a sideways glare at the head of her house.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“...No reason.”

“Don’t just sit here like a wallflower—go mingle. Snag a handsome man while you’re at it.”

Sasha flinched at Alia’s words. Shahin also looked startled and glanced at Alia in surprise.

“Alia! Young master Shahin is sitting right here!”

“What? Did I say something wrong? You should experience dating too, you know. Don’t make such a fuss.”

Alia replied nonchalantly, brushing it off. Sasha let out another sigh.

“…So, Head of House. Now that you’ve seen them yourself, what do you think?”

“They’re all garbage.”

Alia answered without the slightest hesitation.

“I only invited the top contenders from the Sky Arena. I don’t understand how the quality could be this poor.”

Her cheerful demeanor vanished. She looked across the participants with a cold, appraising gaze.

“At this rate, you’ll probably win.”

Then, as if she’d never spoken harshly at all, she smiled warmly again.

“Well, if you say so, then I guess I don’t have much to worry about.”

“Don’t put too much faith in my judgment. There are plenty of top-tier participants who didn’t accept the invitation. Besides, there’s a rumor going around that a disciple of the Dragon Slayer is competing this time.”

At the mention of "Dragon Slayer," Sasha’s expression hardened.

The Babel family was powerful—so much so that no other faction dared to challenge them.

But they weren’t the strongest. Clans like the Hyukcheon Household rivaled them in might.

And even more threatening than entire factions were the rare individuals who could match the Babel family on their own.

One such person was the Dragon Slayer.

As the title implied, a Dragon Slayer was a hunter who specialized in killing dragon-type monsters.

What made this possible was the Dragon Slayer’s unique Gift—a supernatural ability that suppressed every ability and stat of dragon-blooded beings.

This Gift even affected members of the Babel family, who carried dragon lineage.

“And then there’s that one boy… he’s not to be taken lightly either.”

Alia’s gaze landed on a man in the distance.

Kwon Hanul.

A participant from the Hyukcheon Household.

Sasha found herself tensing up without even realizing it.

In truth, he was the one participant she was most wary of.

There were all sorts of rumors floating around about him.

Even if only half of them were true, Sasha had no chance of beating him.

“That man… is he really that strong?”

“I don’t know.”

“Pardon?”

Alia shook her head. “It’s hard to gauge his level. He’s hiding his presence with incredible precision.”

Even if Alia had lost her power due to her incurable illness, she was once considered one of the strongest individuals alive.

And even she couldn’t get a read on him.

That fact alone was astonishing.

“I can’t be certain, but… all those rumors about him might just be true.”

Alia stared intently at Kwon Hanul for a while. Then, turning to Sasha, she asked casually, “Sasha, what do you think of that man—as a potential husband?”

Cough.

Shahin choked on air, eyes wide as he glanced between the two women.

“Where did that come from?!”

“Do you not like him?”

“It’s not that—it’s just so sudden!”

Sasha blurted out, visibly flustered. Shahin, meanwhile, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

“…But if it’s for the good of the family, I’ll do whatever’s needed.”

Only for that relief to vanish again at Sasha’s next words.

“You’re looking for a strong heir in case you’re no longer with us, aren’t you?”

“Sasha. I love everything about you—but you really overanalyze my words sometimes. I was just curious because he seems like a good man, that’s all.”

Alia burst into laughter. Then, out of nowhere, she stood up.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?”

“I want to take a closer look.”

“W-What? Wait! Just a second!”

Before Sasha could stop her, Alia was already walking toward Kwon Hanul.

* * *

At some point, Kwon Hanul’s eyes had locked onto something.

Mei Hong looked at him with curiosity.

“What are you staring at?”

“Oh, that woman over there.”

He pointed at Alia Davi. Mei Hong followed his gaze, then asked. “She your type or something?”

“Pardon?”

“She’s not really the same style as Hayun unni… If she finds out, she’ll be upset.”

“It’s not like that…”

He was so taken aback that he was briefly speechless.

That wasn’t the reason he was watching Alia Davi.

“Doesn’t she seem… off to you?”

There was something unidentifiable and ominous about her.

Quiet for now, but like a bomb—one spark and everything could go up in flames.

“Hmm… I don’t know.”

Mei Hong just tilted her head. Kwon Hanul grew uncertain. Was I imagining it?

“Oh? She’s coming this way,” Mei Hong suddenly said in surprise.

Sure enough, Alia Davi was approaching them.

“Hello,” she said, giving a slight nod. “You must be Kwon Hanul. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

She extended her hand for a shake. But Kwon Hanul hesitated.

The ominous feeling radiating from her had grown even stronger.

It was like trying to cross a rotten rope bridge over a bottomless cliff—one misstep and you’d plummet.

“Is something wrong?” Alia tilted her head slightly.

Clenching his teeth, Kwon Hanul finally grasped her hand.

“…Pleased to meet you.”

At that moment, a message appeared.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]