Chapter 197 - Bloodline is Everything

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 197: Individual Combat (3)

“You said you came to slay a dragon?”

At the Dragon Slayer’s words, Kwon Myung-woo’s eyebrow twitched.

“Even I, who’ve never properly killed a dragon, find it deeply irritating when some greenhorn parades around calling himself a ‘Dragon Slayer.’”

“To think I’d find common ground with the great Strongest Fist of Hyukcheon. What an honor,”

the Dragon Slayer replied with a smug grin.

“But you might want to be careful. Wouldn’t it be a shame if your head flew off from my axe?”

“Ha! I should start by shutting that arrogant mouth of yours.”

Kwon Myung-woo’s arms and shoulders were encased in Blackscale Armor.

Gripping his black iron fists, he stepped toward the Dragon Slayer.

“Whoa there, getting that close puts you in danger.”

Once Kwon Myung-woo closed the gap to about three meters, he suddenly felt his body grow heavier.

<‘Red Dragon Star’ is affecting your body!>

It was as if his energy was being drained. His magic, now sluggish and heavy, no longer flowed freely.

“You haven’t forgotten, have you? My Gift—Red Dragon Star—is a natural predator to Black Dragon Bloodline.”

The reason this man earned the title Dragon Slayer was thanks to his Gift.

Dragon-type monsters, dragon bloodlines, even relics imbued with draconic power—

All were weakened before the power of Red Dragon Star.

“The closer you get, the stronger its effects. Step in too carelessly, and your head might be next…”

But at that moment—

Kwon Myung-woo suddenly charged forward.

The Dragon Slayer, startled, raised his twin axes. A violet aura gathered around them.

“Still going to come at me head-on after all my warnings?”

Kwon Myung-woo activated his Dragon Combat Aura with both hands—then simultaneously unleashed it.

Black Dragon Twelve Ascendant Techniques – Advanced Form

Aura Strike– Flamecasting Inferno

The blast of Dragon Combat Aura surged forth, engulfing the Dragon Slayer. It didn’t stop there—it expanded outward, consuming the surrounding space.

Then—

The Dragon Combat Aura was cleaved in half.

A surge of violet aura rushed toward Kwon Myung-woo.

He quickly raised a guard to block, but the moment the aura touched his forearm—his Blackscale Armor split open.

“…Hmm?”

The Blackscale Armor, the pinnacle of defensive powers symbolizing the Black Dragon Bloodline—

And this was armor he himself had forged.

For it to break so easily—was inconceivable.

Kwon Myung-woo tried to retreat.

But the Dragon Slayer was faster—lunging forward.

“Where do you think you’re running?”

The twin axes came crashing down, swinging wildly.

Each strike painted half-moon trails of violet aura through the air.

Kwon Myung-woo parried the blows with his palms and elbows.

“Not bad for a punk!”

“You’re pretty spry for some dried-up old man!”

They hurled insults back and forth as they clashed dozens of times.

Then, suddenly, the Dragon Slayer grinned.

“By now, it should be starting to hit you…”

“What?”

A wave of dizziness swept over Kwon Myung-woo.

His posture faltered.

The Dragon Slayer didn’t miss the opening. He swung his axe in a wide arc toward Myung-woo’s neck.

Kwon Myung-woo raised his forearm just in time to block.

But when the axe collided with his arm—it broke through the Blackscale Armor and lodged itself into his flesh.

“Hmph!”

As soon as the blade bit into him, Kwon Myung-woo spun his body, pulling his arm free faster than the axe could dig deeper, and leapt back.

He glanced down at his forearm—blood gushed from the open wound.

Fortunately, he had yanked it free before the blade reached the bone. But it seemed the nerves had been damaged—his fingers wouldn’t move properly.

“Shouldn’t have let your guard down.”

The Dragon Slayer chuckled.

“Red Dragon Star is poison to someone like you. The more we clash, the more it eats away at you.”

That wasn’t the only problem.

The Dragon Slayer’s aura was slicing through the Blackscale Armor far too easily.

It was now clear—when the Dragon Slayer’s aura, imbued with the power of Red Dragon Star, clashed with the powers of Black Dragon Blood, the former had the overwhelming advantage.

“You shouldn’t have fought me. You should have run!”

The Dragon Slayer charged again, swinging his axe with killing intent.

“This time, I’ll take your head!”

Just then—Kwon Myung-woo smacked the axe with the back of his hand.

CRACK!

With a thunderous sound, the blade of the axe shattered.

“Wh-what…?!”

The Dragon Slayer’s face twisted in disbelief.

In that instant—Kwon Myung-woo’s fist drove into his solar plexus.

And at the same time—he detonated his Dragon Combat Aura.

A shockwave rippled outwards—blasting into the Dragon Slayer’s core.

“Kuh! Gugh!”

The Dragon Slayer flew back with a scream— And even after landing, he couldn’t regain his bearings.

“I took you for a nobody and let my guard down. And now I’m the one bleeding.”

Kwon Myung-woo tore part of his clothing and wrapped it around his forearm.

“Red Dragon Star?”

He looked at the Dragon Slayer with a sneer of disdain.

“So what? You thought weakening me with that was enough to put you above me?”

Kwon Myung-woo unleashed his aura.

The sheer pressure of his energy split the walls and floor around them with cracks.

“Come, then. Let me show a lowly wretch like you… what the Strongest Fist of Hyukcheon truly looks like.”

* * *

“Pangu.”

The moment Kwon Hanul uttered the cryptic word, something about the energy radiating from his body completely changed.

The fierce and domineering aura that had been characteristic of the Black Dragon Bloodline vanished like dust in the wind. In its place emerged an oppressive, heavy presence—sluggish, yet overwhelming.

‘What is happening?’

Bae Cheol-min couldn’t comprehend it.

Magical energy is known to fluctuate based on the user's emotions. It may become rough or calm, but its fundamental nature doesn’t change.

But this—this was something else entirely.

The very essence of the energy had changed.

“This is…”

Suddenly, a memory surfaced in Cheol-min’s mind.

The Sanchez family, known as one of the noble houses of Pandemonium— When their Superhuman Bloodline reached its peak, they emitted this exact same aura of pressure.

“No way… that can’t be…”

Kwon Hanul belonged to the Hyukcheon Clan, a direct inheritor of the True Black Dragon Bloodline.

So why—why was the presence of the Superhuman Bloodline emanating from him?

—You really don’t know my secret?

Hanul’s voice resonated—not through the air, but directly inside Cheol-min’s head.

—You must’ve met with Aeon and had your restrictions lifted. And yet, you still don’t know what I am… which means you’re nothing more than a disposable pawn.

Disposable pawn.

The phrase grated on him like a blade. Cheol-min clenched his fists, the muscles in his forearms tightening like steel bars around bone.

“Shut up. I don’t know what you just did… but nothing’s changed.”

He would kill Kwon Hanul.

He would rip off that head to avenge the discarded bloodline of his ruined family.

“This won’t end like before. I’ll split your upper and lower halves.”

Cheol-min charged.

Every step cracked the ground beneath him. He covered the distance with terrifying acceleration and aimed a strike at Hanul’s torso.

His arm whipped forward like a lash— The power behind it was so overwhelming that his shoulder and elbow joints dislocated on the spot.

But it didn’t matter.

With the power of the Healthy Bloodline, this kind of injury was meaningless.

“Die.”

The dislocated arm curved like a whip in a perfect arc.

It struck Hanul before the sound of it even arrived.

Cheol-min’s arm sliced clean through Hanul’s body—but in the next instant, Hanul dissolved into smoke.

“A clone?”

The smoke scattered in all directions.

Cheol-min scanned the area for Hanul’s real body, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is he—”

Then, the drifting smoke began to coalesce mid-air.

Forming a shape.

A fist—and then the upper body of a giant clutching that fist, towering above and looking down at him.

Cheol-min’s face twisted in confusion.

And then—the giant swung its fist.

Cheol-min reflexively crossed his arms and braced for impact.

And then—the blow landed.

The world shattered.

It was like his brain had been rattled inside a steel drum.

His vision warped violently, then snapped back into focus.

Only then did Cheol-min realize what had happened.

His forearms were crushed.

His muscles were torn apart.

His organs were a mangled mess.

<‘Healthy Bloodline’ has detected critical damage to your body!>

This wasn’t just dangerous. The ability Final Flash of Life only activates when death is imminent.

That it had triggered automatically meant Cheol-min was standing at death’s door.

Struggling, Cheol-min raised his head.

The giant faded, the smoke converging back into a single form.

Kwon Hanul.

“What… what technique… was that?”

—I punched you.

The voice echoed in his head again.

Cheol-min swallowed the blood welling up inside and screamed hoarsely:

“You’re… telling me that was just… a punch? That one strike—did this to me?”

It was absurd.

His body, forged in the fires of hell itself, was considered indestructible.

If nothing else, it had the world’s greatest durability.

Even if his heart exploded, he wouldn’t die—it would regenerate within three minutes.

And yet—in one strike.

Just one punch—

“…Gugh.”

Cheol-min coughed up blood.

Despite the full activation of the Healthy Bloodline’s powers, his body wasn’t healing.

If Hanul struck now, he would surely die.

—Your body’s not normal. I can tell—it’s full of powers others don’t have.

Fortunately, Hanul didn’t finish him off.

—Each time I hit you, I could feel it. Not toughness. Not some shield over you. It was like… something was actively interfering with my attacks.

“…You’re sharp. You’re right. Thanks to abusing my Health Bloodline, I’ve acquired countless traits,” Cheol-min replied, not out of pride, but desperation.

He needed time to recover.

It was humiliating—but he had no other option.

“Some of them give me resistance to physical attacks. Even abilities you'd usually only find in enchanted relics—I’ve internalized them into my body.”

Just a little longer.

Just a few seconds more, and he could fight again.

“I can even breathe through my skin. I can cut off the aura flow in my body. I don’t need weapons or armor. My body is both.”

In all his years with the Iron Corps, Cheol-min had rarely encountered gear superior to his own body.

—Which is why I brought out my Superhuman Bloodline. Only with this power can I destroy your body.

Superhuman Bloodline.

Cheol-min’s eyes widened.

“So I wasn’t imagining it…!”

With that realization came another question.

Humans can’t possess two bloodlines.

That fact had been proven long ago.

So how did Hanul carry both the Black Dragon and Superhuman Bloodlines?

—But more importantly… looks like you’ve recovered.

Hanul’s voice snapped Cheol-min out of his thoughts.

Cheol-min glared at him.

“…How long have you known?”

—From the beginning.

The fact that Hanul had deliberately waited filled Cheol-min with rage.

To be shown mercy by your enemy—nothing was more humiliating.

“You’ll regret that.”

—I waited so I wouldn’t have regrets.

Cheol-min narrowed his eyes.

—I’m sorry.

Something twisted inside Cheol-min’s chest.

—For what happened to the Bae clan. And for not accepting your offer.

Emotion surged inside him, but Cheol-min clenched his teeth to hold it down.

“What the hell… are you apologizing for!?”

—For what happened to your clan. And for not taking your hand when you offered it.

“Too late for that kind of talk now!”

—I know. That’s why I waited. At the very least, I didn’t want either of us to walk away with regrets.

“…Hah.”

Cheol-min let out a hollow laugh.

“You act like you're doing me a favor— and you don't even plan to let me hit you cleanly?”

—I can’t lose to you. There’s too much I still have to accomplish.

Cheol-min rose to his feet.

His mangled body had recovered just enough to fight again.

“You bastard…”

It pained him to admit it—but he had to.

He couldn’t beat Hanul now.

“You want to know how I managed to ambush Kwon Seonwoo?”

Cheol-min opened a subspace rift, retrieving a collection of potent drugs.

He drank them, injected them, ingested them in every way possible.

“…Khh!”

Almost instantly, the drugs began affecting his body.

His blood vessels bulged, and his skin turned deep crimson.

Any ordinary hunter would have died already.

Only the Healthy Bloodline allowed Cheol-min to survive this.

“H-Hahaha!”

The pain twisted into ecstasy, and Cheol-min burst into maniacal laughter.

“Then let’s begin again!”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]