Chapter 158 - Bloodline is Everything

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 158: Mortal Enemies (2)

Babel Family’s Vessel.

Dahlia Babel was staring intently at her laptop, her expression unusually serious.

On the screen, Kwon Hanul was locked in combat with the disciple of the Dragon Slayer.

“That’s the True Blood of Hyukcheon…”

Dahlia replayed the footage several times. Her cold, narrowed eyes even seemed to carry a trace of killing intent.

How much time had passed? With a deep sigh, she finally spoke.

“I’m jealous.”

She buried her face in her hands and said it again.

“I’m so jealous I could die.”

Throwing herself onto the bed, she rolled over it, repeating once more, “I’m going crazy with jealousy!”

Thrashing about on the bed, Dahlia screamed out, “Ugh, why does True Blood only appear in Hyukcheon?! Why not in the Babel family?!”

To qualify for entry into the Sky Arena, one needed three S-grade stats.

That was enough to be considered a powerhouse—but not on a global scale.

The baseline for those known as true world-rankers—Triple Numberings—was having all stats at S-grade.

“How is he that strong?! Is it because of the True Blood? Or did Hyukcheon just raise him that well?!”

The power Kwon Hanul displayed in the video wasn’t on the level of an average Sky Arena contender.

He was closer to a world-ranker—possibly even near Triple Numbering status.

Even more terrifying was the fact that Kwon Hanul clearly wasn’t going all out.

“Even Red Dragon Star didn’t work on him. What the hell is he made of?!”

As the head of the Babel family, the Dragon Slayer was someone she naturally had to be wary of.

Yet Kwon Hanul had effortlessly brushed off the Red Dragon Star wielded by his disciple, Mano Stonelight.

“Jealous! So jealous!!”

Dahlia rolled across the bed again.

“Lady, may I come in?”

A voice called from outside—it was Sasha Babel. Dahlia’s face lit up as she got off the bed.

At last, someone she could share this jealousy with.

“Sasha!”

Dahlia flung the door open wide. Hugging Sasha around the waist, she shouted, “Sasha! You came at the perfect time! I just watched Kwon Hanul’s video. Can you believe it?! Does any of this make sense?! Why do monsters like that only pop up in Hyukcheon?!”

She pressed her face repeatedly into Sasha’s stomach.

“I’m jealous! So jealous! Why hasn’t True Blood ever appeared in our Babel family?! What are we lacking?! This is so unfair! It’s driving me insane!”

Then suddenly, Dahlia’s gaze landed on the man standing behind Sasha.

The moment she saw his face, her body froze.

“…Kwon Hanul?”

Kwon Hanul averted his gaze slightly, as if he had just witnessed something he shouldn’t have.

Dahlia lifted her head to look at Sasha. Sasha’s face was flushed with embarrassment.

“Oh my.”

Dahlia quickly stepped away from Sasha and cleared her throat before addressing Kwon Hanul.

“Come on in.”

* * *

“You agreed to fulfill Kwon Hanul’s request in exchange for healing me?”

As soon as she heard the explanation, Dahlia’s expression darkened.

“Sasha, don’t tell me—you told him about my condition?”

There was anger in Dahlia’s voice.

“Are you out of your mind? Someone as smart as you—how could you do something so reckless?! I’m not letting this go!”

Sasha bit her lip.

“I’m ready for the consequences. But I judged it was worth it.”

“Worth it?”

“Kwon Hanul completely erased the Red Dragon Star’s energy from my body.”

That statement stunned Dahlia.

She, of all people, knew how vicious the Red Dragon Star was. Once it infiltrated your body, purging it with mana was nearly impossible.

Dahlia turned to Kwon Hanul and asked, “Is that part of the True Blood’s power?”

“You could say that.”

Kwon Hanul gave a non-committal answer.

At that, Dahlia blurted out without thinking, “…I’m jealous.”

Kwon Hanul and Sasha looked at her, clearly wondering if they’d misheard.

Dahlia quickly corrected herself.

“Oh, I misspoke… Just forget I said anything.”

She forced herself to appear composed.

“I understand now why Sasha brought you to me. I assume you’re confident in your abilities if you came here.”

“I am.”

“But once you learn who I really am, you might change your mind.”

Sasha tried to stop her in a panic.

“There’s no need to reveal—”

“Sasha, that wouldn’t be a fair deal.”

Dahlia turned to Kwon Hanul.

“My name isn’t Alia Davi. It’s Dahlia Babel.”

The moment he heard her real name, Kwon Hanul’s expression turned rigid. He asked for confirmation.

“…Are you the head of the Babel family?”

“I am. Surprised?”

“Not really. I already knew you weren’t just anyone.”

“Healing me won’t benefit Hyukcheon. Are you still willing to stay?”

Kwon Hanul pondered deeply, then answered, “It doesn’t matter. I came prepared for that.”

He had known from the beginning that Dahlia was no ordinary person. He was also aware that treating her would be disadvantageous for Hyukcheon.

Even so, her status as family head didn’t change his decision.

“What I’m asking in return is worth the risk.”

“And what exactly is it you want?”

“An SS-grade elixir.”

This time, it was Dahlia’s expression that stiffened.

In today’s world, where Hunters are considered strategic weapons, elixirs that boost stats are immensely valuable.

And among them, SS-grade elixirs are so precious they’re almost beyond valuation.

“So you’re asking because Hyukcheon doesn’t have one right now?”

“I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

“Our Babel family does have one SS-grade elixir in the works.”

It had originally been prepared for Sasha Babel.

It wasn’t ready for immediate consumption—it still needed time to be perfected.

“If you can really heal me, I won’t withhold it. But honestly, I don’t trust you.”

Of course, Kwon Hanul wouldn’t be here unless he believed in his own abilities.

But Dahlia, as the family head, had met too many people who claimed to be confident—none of whom had ever managed to cure her.

“I understand. But Lady Dahlia, if I treat you and it works, can’t you give me the elixir then?”

“And how am I supposed to trust you? What if you have some ulterior motive?”

“Ulterior motive?”

“Like, targeting my body or something.”

Cough.

Both Kwon Hanul and Sasha coughed in unison.

“What? I’m not saying anything outrageous. I’m pretty attractive, right?”

“Well… you are beautiful.”

“I knew it!”

“But Lady Dahlia, I didn’t come here with those intentions.”

Kwon Hanul’s expression turned serious.

“If you don’t trust my abilities, I can’t help that. But I don’t want to be misunderstood either.”

His voice was calm but resolute. Dahlia stared at him for a moment,

As if trying to determine whether or not he was telling the truth.

Eventually, Dahlia leaned in and whispered to Sasha, “He’s intense.”

“Lady Dahlia!”

“Jeez, no need to yell.”

“This is not the time for that kind of comment!”

“What? I’m just saying…” Dahlia turned her head and grumbled.

“Fine. I’ll give you a chance. But Sasha has to be present during the treatment.”

“Understood.”

Kwon Hanul bowed his head.

“Then let’s begin right away.”

* * *

There was nothing special required to prepare for Dahlia Babel’s treatment.

Instead, it had to be performed as close to her heart as possible to allow direct mana infusion.

To meet that condition, Dahlia Babel removed her robe and sat on the bed with her back exposed.

“Haa…”

Dahlia let out a deep sigh. Sasha Babel, watching with concern, asked, “Are you still worried, Lady Dahlia?”

“I’m just a little nervous about being naked in front of a young man.”

“...I see.”

Sasha stepped back with an expression that suggested she’d heard enough.

“Then I’ll begin,” Kwon Hanul said.

He placed both his palms on Dahlia’s back. Since he couldn’t touch her chest, this was the closest point to her heart.

Mana began to spread through Dahlia’s body, infused through his palms.

<‘Genius Bloodline’ is analyzing the subject’s structure.>

A detailed anatomical map of Dahlia Babel’s body unfolded in Kwon Hanul’s mind.

‘It’s gotten much worse than last time.’

When he had seen her at the banquet, there were still faintly open mana channels.

Now, every single one of them was completely blocked.

Observing the condition of her body, Kwon Hanul couldn’t help but wonder:

‘Is this really just an illness?’

In general, hunters and disease rarely go hand in hand.

The mana within a hunter’s body constantly maintains physical health.

And once a hunter gains mana control, most ordinary illnesses can be cured.

‘There are no signs that her mana resisted the disease.’

Yet in Dahlia’s case, her mana channels were entirely sealed without even a trace of resistance. The mana resting dormant near her heart was evidence of that.

‘What in the world happened to her?’

But Kwon Hanul chose to set aside his doubts for now. Finding the cause wasn’t as urgent as healing her.

First, he wove the mana he had infused into her body into delicate threads.

He used those threads to force their way into the largest mana channel.

Normally, mana that enters another person’s body is difficult to control. Turning it into threads and navigating their mana pathways was even more difficult.

It was a mentally exhausting process—but for Kwon Hanul, it wasn’t too hard.

<‘Genius Bloodline’ is interpreting the subject’s structure.>

Genius Bloodline assisted in the task.

It had previously analyzed the structure of relics and even unsealed them. And it had advanced since then—this level of work was no problem now.

‘Still, this isn’t easy.’

The mana channels were so dried up that even with Genius Bloodline, the task remained difficult. Only a few minutes had passed, but he had already nearly exhausted his mana.

‘Guess I have no choice.’

<‘Dragonheart Bloodline’ is activating!>

With the Dragonheart Bloodline activated, his mana surged once again.

But Kwon Hanul didn’t use the Dragonheart Bloodline’s mana directly. He filtered it through his own body before injecting it back into Dahlia.

If he used it openly, the two women might discover the Dragonheart Bloodline’s existence—and that would be a problem.

The mana threads continued burrowing deeper, finally reaching her heart.

At that moment, the previously dormant mana within Dahlia’s heart surged out through the narrow channel opened by the threads.

“Kh!”

Dahlia let out a short cry. The backlash had been intense.

“Please bear with it a little longer.”

Kwon Hanul injected more mana, expanding the threads to widen the channel.

Then, it happened.

A foreign energy suddenly flared up from Dahlia’s body like fire.

The curse shot into Kwon Hanul's body in an instant—and spread throughout.

It was as if someone had grabbed a hose full of flowing water—the mana channels suddenly constricted. Kwon Hanul suffered internal damage from the shock.

“...Khak!”

Blood spurted from his mouth.

The curse was vicious. It rapidly took control of his body and began to wreak havoc.

At that moment—

Magic.

The moment Kwon Hanul focused on that word—

Genius Bloodline unleashed its mana, tearing the curse apart.

The curse didn’t even put up much resistance before it disintegrated.

Not only the curse within Kwon Hanul’s body, but the one afflicting Dahlia as well—both were cleansed completely in an instant.

“…Hoo.”

Kwon Hanul let out a heavy breath and removed his hands from Dahlia’s back.

“It’s done.”

He said, then looked at Dahlia’s face.

She was staring blankly into space.

“Lady Dahlia?”

Dahlia slowly raised her hand. A faint glow of mana shimmered at her fingertips.

The glow soon grew into a substantial orb of mana. When she moved her hand, the mana obediently followed.

Sasha Babel clapped both hands over her mouth, as if unwilling to disturb the moment.

“…Sasha, do you see this? I can control mana again.”

Sasha nodded silently. Dahlia—

Kwon Hanul took a step back, watching her quietly.

As a fellow hunter, he could understand what she was feeling right now.

“...Thank you.”

Sasha bowed deeply to Kwon Hanul. He responded with a faint, wry smile.

“I didn’t do it out of goodwill. I expect compensation—no need for gratitude.”

* * *

After treating Dahlia Babel, Kwon Hanul left promptly.

He had received a firm promise: the elixir would be sent to him once it was completed.

“Sasha.”

After he left, Dahlia spoke.

“When the elixir is ready, send it to Kwon Hanul immediately.”

“Understood.”

Sasha’s demeanor had grown even more respectful. Now that Dahlia had regained her power, she was returning to her role as Head of House Babel.

“And we need to investigate Kwon Hanul.”

“...Excuse me?”

“Just assigning people to watch him won’t be enough. We need a dedicated division.”

Sasha’s face stiffened at those words.

Kwon Hanul had saved Dahlia—yet he was also a potential threat.

Dahlia’s cold decisiveness in ordering surveillance without hesitation was striking.

“Understood. We’ll focus on identifying his weaknesses in case of—”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Dahlia blinked in surprise. Sasha was taken aback too.

“Didn’t you give that order because you saw him as a danger?”

“Sasha... Are you really that kind of person? After everything he’s done for me, how could you think like that?”

Something swelled inside Sasha—indignation? guilt?

“Then why give such an order at all?”

“Kwon Hanul has Dragonheart Bloodline.”

Sasha’s mind went completely blank.

“W-What nonsense are you saying now?”

“It’s not nonsense. When I regained my mana, I felt it. He definitely has a Dragonheart beating in his chest.”

Kwon Hanul had tried to hide the Dragonheart Bloodline’s mana—but not well enough to escape Dahlia’s perception.

In terms of pure hunter skill, Dahlia was leagues above him.

“There’s only one way a human can possess a Dragonheart Bloodline in this world.”

Dragonheart Bloodline.

Only those of the Babel bloodline could inherit it.

“But Lady Dahlia, it’s impossible for someone to possess more than one bloodline—”

“Then how do you explain the Trueblood awakening?”

That silenced Sasha.

“Sasha, don’t be bound by common sense. Just because it’s never happened before doesn’t mean it can’t.”

Before the gates opened, no one could’ve imagined the world would change like this either.

“Kwon Hanul has both the Black Dragon Bloodline and the Dragonheart Bloodline. If the Black Dragonblood is a Trueblood, maybe the Dragonheart is too. Maybe he even has more bloodlines.”

“That’s ridiculous...”

“I told you—not to be tied down by what you think is possible.”

Dahlia herself didn’t understand how Kwon Hanul could have both the Black Dragon Bloodline and the Dragonheart Bloodline.

“But do you know what I’ve learned after all these years? Never mess with something that lies outside the bounds of common sense.”

That’s why they had to investigate. To uncover Kwon Hanul’s secrets.

“And if he really does have the Dragonheart Bloodline, that means... he could be part of the Babel bloodline.”

Dahlia’s eyes gleamed with greed.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]