Chapter 201 - Bloodline is Everything

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 201: Collapse (3)

“You’re going to look for Captain Kwon Myung-woo?”

Kwon Junyeol responded with confusion. His expression made it clear he didn’t understand Hanul’s decision.

Go looking for Kwon Myung-woo? That could only mean one thing—he intended to support him.

Junyeol was well aware the situation had taken an odd turn. But Kwon Myung-woo was still Kwon Myung-woo.

No matter the crisis, that man never wavered. If anything, he would tear through it head-on and crush his enemies in the process.

Junyeol, who had witnessed this time and time again up close, simply couldn’t imagine any scenario where Kwon Myung-woo would lose.

“Wouldn’t it be better to focus on supporting the Dark Shade Unit instead?”

Junyeol offered the advice with sincerity. But Hanul only shook his head.

“I have to go to my Granduncle.”

There was no hesitation in Hanul’s voice.

His instincts were screaming. With everything unfolding so far outside of expectations, the person in the most danger now—was Kwon Myung-woo.

This wasn’t a baseless worry. Hanul possessed the True Black Dragon’s Bloodline, which had embedded in him the instincts of a dragon.

And those dragon instincts were sounding the alarm without rest.

There was no time to delay—he had to find Kwon Myung-woo immediately.

“…Understood. If that’s your decision, then so be it.”

In the end, Junyeol agreed to Hanul’s request.

It was, frankly, an unusual thing. Even if Hanul was a direct descendant, Kwon Junyeol was a squad leader of the Hyukcheon Corps with countless accolades to his name.

He had every right to stand firm against Hanul’s command.

But if not for Hanul, they would’ve all been helplessly wiped out by the Iron Corps ambush just moments ago.

Junyeol knew—it was wiser to follow Hanul’s lead for now.

“The only problem is… even if I want to support the Dark Shade Unit, I have no idea where in the Secret Vault they are…”

Junyeol’s face turned troubled.

Just then, Hanul’s eyes sharpened.

In one motion, he turned and slashed his hand toward the wall. The emitted dragon demonic energy carved a deep line into it.

“Wh-What are you doing?!”

Junyeol cried out in alarm— And in that same moment, a scream rang out from behind the now-split wall.

“AAAHHH!”

Junyeol and the Hyukcheon soldiers froze at the unexpected cry.

But Hanul launched himself into the breach without hesitation, his fist already flying.

With a single blow, the wall shattered completely, revealing an empty space behind it—

And there, a woman in a black robe was bleeding, her chest slashed open.

“H-How did you know where I was?!”

She shrieked in panic.

But Hanul didn’t bother responding. Catching her took priority.

“St-Stay back!”

As Hanul closed the distance, the woman let out a sharp cry and yanked a staff from her pouch.

A wave of dark mana erupted from its tip— And a tangle of black tendrils shot out from thin air, wrapping tightly around Hanul.

“Tch—?”

Hanul grimaced. The strength and grip of the tendrils were much stronger than anticipated.

As he wrestled against them, the woman grabbed the pendant around her neck.

It flared with light—and suddenly, the walls, ceiling, and floor began to melt like jelly.

Hanul immediately realized—she was trying to escape using space-distortion magic.

He gritted his teeth and called upon the Superhuman Bloodline’s power.

Tearing away the tendrils, he lunged—but her spell had already completed.

A wall of viscous slime rose between them, blocking his path. Just as she was about to vanish—

<‘Half Demon Bloodline’ responds to the wielder’s will.>

Suddenly, the Half Demon Bloodline activated.

This bloodline, inherited from the Demon King, had overwhelming anti-magic power.

<‘Half Demon Bloodline’ halts all magic and authority effects within a 3-meter radius.>

The tendrils disappeared instantly.

And the liquefied wall froze—solidifying back into a rigid mineral surface.

“Wh-What’s happening?!”

The woman panicked. She tried to channel mana back into the pendant— But no matter how hard she tried, the magic wouldn’t activate again.

Hanul didn’t miss the opening. Without hesitation, he lunged, grabbed her by the collar, and slammed her into the ground.

“Aagh!”

Her scream rang out, bones audibly cracking.

But Hanul didn’t let up. He twisted her arm behind her back, locking her down completely.

She moaned in pain, pinned to the floor.

“Are you a mage from Aeon?”

“Y-Yes! Yes, I am! Just please—let go of my arm!”

She shouted in desperation. Hanul only tightened his grip.

“KYAAAGH!”

“What were you doing here?”

“I-I was changing the layout of the corridors with magic to trap the Hyukcheon Corps! P-Please, it feels like my arm’s about to snap!”

As Hanul suspected—the pendant’s mana had been far too ominous to be ordinary. She was on a critical mission.

With a clean strike of his hand, he knocked her unconscious.

“Captain Kwon Junyeol. I’ll leave this woman in your care.”

Hanul hadn’t killed her—he planned to interrogate her later.

Leaving her with Junyeol, Hanul turned his attention to the artifacts she had dropped.

Quality: Legendary (SSS-)

Description: A staff once wielded by the demon duke Claredamendara. Contains magic capable of binding even monstrous beasts.

<Ahurada’s Jewel>

Quality: Legendary (AAA-)

Description: A magical artifact usable only within Ahurada’s Barrier. Grants control over spatial manipulation inside the barrier.

Though he had never encountered either tool before, thanks to his Genius Bloodline, understanding their function came easily.

As he turned the objects in his hands, Hanul suddenly realized something was missing.

“Just a moment…”

He began searching the woman’s body— And soon found a pair of earrings she had been wearing.

<Ahurada’s Crystal>

Quality: Legendary (AAA-)

Description: A magical artifact usable only within Ahurada’s Barrier. Grants full visual access to the structure of the barrier’s interior.

The moment he grasped them, a three-dimensional map materialized in his mind.

“Just as I thought.”

Manipulating space wasn’t enough. There had to be an artifact that allowed one to observe it as well.

As he studied the map, Hanul was surprised to find he could zoom in to see not just the rooms but who was currently inside them.

It didn’t take long to locate the members of the Dark Shade Unit, scattered in pairs throughout the complex.

“That’s… Kwon Biryuk and Raishin?”

Seeing those two names shocked him. He hadn’t expected them to be working with the Dark Shade Unit.

While he was still recovering from the surprise—

He spotted Kwon Myung-woo.

In a corner of the map, Kwon Myung-woo was locked in a standoff with a Dragon Slayer.

Hanul zoomed in for a closer look—

And at that exact moment, Mei Xiao appeared from behind and drove a blade straight into Myung-woo’s chest.

“…”

His mind went completely blank for a moment.

But only for a moment. Hanul acted instantly.

“Captain Kwon Junyeol.”

“Yes?”

“My Granduncle is in danger. We must move. Now.”

“…What?”

Junyeol was stunned.

“Didn’t you just ask me to look after the Dark Shade Unit?”

If Kwon Biryuk and Raishin were with them, they’d be fine. There was no need to assist further.

But the situation was far too complicated to explain now.

Without another word, Hanul poured mana into the pendant.

The walls and ceiling began to tremble. The sudden shift left Junyeol and the Hyukcheon soldiers in shock.

“Lord Hanul, what is going on?!”

There was no time to answer.

Hanul set the room where Kwon Myung-woo was as the destination.

But he couldn’t get there.

The chaotic clash between Kwon Myung-woo and the Dragon Slayer had twisted the mana beyond safe travel.

Hanul racked his brain. What’s the fastest way to get there under these conditions?

Teleport nearby and run the rest of the way? No—too slow.

There was no time. Kwon Myung-woo’s life was on the line.

“…Wait.”

A thought struck him. He chose a new coordinate.

The room above where Kwon Myung-woo was.

“This’ll be a rough landing. Everyone brace yourselves.”

“Huh?”

Junyeol still hadn’t caught up.

But Hanul ignored him and raised his fist high.

Blinding light gathered around his fist. Junyeol’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Th-That’s… Superhuman Bloodline?!”

Then Hanul drove his fist downward.

With a deafening roar—

The floor collapsed.

* * *

The floor collapsed, and both the Hyukcheon Corps and the Iron Corps plummeted down.

Everyone was startled at first, but they recovered quickly. That was only possible because neither the Hyukcheon Corps nor the Iron Corps were your average Hunters.

“Lord Hanul! What on earth is going on?!”

As he clung to debris mid-fall, Kwon Junyeol shouted up at him. Hanul pointed below.

“Down there—my Granduncle, Mei Xiao, and the Dragon Slayer are all present.”

“What are you talking about…?”

Before Junyeol could finish, a massive surge of mana surged up from beneath them. Feeling the oppressive energy, Junyeol’s expression turned grim. He realized Hanul hadn’t been exaggerating.

“My Granduncle’s life is in danger. The moment we land, we need to heal his injuries…”

But before he could finish—

“Captain’s in danger?!”

Junyeol shouted in disbelief. The Hyukcheon Corps reacted instantly.

“The Captain? In danger?”

“That man? For real?”

“Who is it?! Who’s the bastard that laid hands on our Captain?!”

Led by Junyeol, the Hyukcheon Corps erupted with fury and began descending even faster, breaking through falling debris like thunder.

Hanul blinked at the sight.

“…Well then.”

Because of that, he arrived on the floor just moments after the Hyukcheon Corps.

As his feet touched down, he muttered under his breath,

“So impatient, all of them.”

He then lifted his gaze. His eyes locked with Mei Xiao’s across the battlefield.

“Kwon Hanul…!”

The moment she saw him, Mei Xiao’s face twisted.

“Of all times to show up, it had to be now! Everything about you is infuriating!”

She exploded with rage.

She had been moments away from finishing Kwon Myung-woo off, and now she was being interrupted. Her fury was palpable.

“Tch, I didn’t expect to run into him here.”

The Dragon Slayer looked at Hanul with a grin. He, too, bore a grudge.

“Perfect. I’ve got a score to settle with you.”

The two absolutes released their auras at once. The oppressive power made the air tremble, and the Hyukcheon Corps visibly tensed.

“Lord Hanul, we’ll assist you.”

Kwon Junyeol and the Hyukcheon Corps closed in beside Hanul. Even under the crushing pressure of those two, they didn’t back down.

“How far are these bastards planning to insult me?”

They weren’t the only ones. Off to the side, Kwon Myung-woo—his chest still wrapped in bandages—was getting back to his feet.

“Those bastards are my prey. Back off.”

“Captain, you need to rest. If you push yourself now, you might actually die.”

“See? Should’ve exercised more regularly.”

“Why, you little—how dare you speak to me like that!”

Myung-woo shouted in exasperation. Quiet laughter spread among the Hyukcheon soldiers.

Kwon Myung-woo. The Hyukcheon Corps. And even the Iron Corps, who had fallen alongside them.

Watching them all, Hanul said one thing, “That’s enough. Everyone step back.”

The area fell quiet at once.

Myung-woo blinked, then asked, “What are you saying?”

“You, and everyone else, aren’t helping—so fall back and get those wounds treated.”

A vein bulged on Myung-woo’s forehead. His face flushed red with rage.

“You little brat! Just because I’m injured doesn’t mean—”

But before he could finish, Hanul vanished. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Myung-woo—

—and struck the back of his neck.

Without a sound, Myung-woo collapsed, unconscious.

“If you can’t even stop that, how were you planning to keep fighting?”

Hanul brushed off his hands as he spoke.

After the earlier battle, Myung-woo had already spent nearly all his stamina and mana. Fighting again, especially after a sword had pierced his heart? He’d die for real this time.

“The rest of you—go. I’ll take care of this.”

Hanul gestured to them. Kwon Junyeol and the Hyukcheon Corps hesitated, too shocked to make a decision.

And then—

“What the hell did this little bastard just say?”

The Dragon Slayer was suddenly right in front of Hanul.

“You think you can take the two of us on by yourself? Try handling this first before you talk big!”

With explosive force, he swung his hand axe down.

Even though the Hyukcheon Corps had been watching him, the speed was so monstrous they couldn’t follow his movement.

The axe came crashing down toward Hanul’s skull.

In that instant, Hanul moved.

He twisted just enough that the blade grazed his hair, narrowly missing.

At the same time, his foot shot out and slammed into the Dragon Slayer’s thigh.

The thigh buckled in with a heavy crunch, forcing the giant to one knee. His eyes bulged wide.

“Kh… Krrgh—urk!”

Before he could scream, Hanul’s fist struck upward, smashing into his chin.

The Dragon Slayer’s head snapped back violently.

His chest now fully exposed, Hanul drove an elbow straight into it.

That massive body flew like a ragdoll—

—and crashed into the far wall like a thrown doll.

“…W-What the hell…?”

Kwon Junyeol was too stunned to speak. The rest of the Hyukcheon Corps stood frozen in disbelief.

The Dragon Slayer.

The natural enemy of all dragon beings. The rival of the Hyukcheon Corps.

That monster had just been sent flying like nothing.

They couldn’t trust their own eyes.

“I won’t say it a third time, so listen carefully.”

But Hanul didn’t spare the Dragon Slayer another glance. He kept his gaze locked solely on the Hyukcheon Corps.

“Take my Granduncle and get out of here.”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]