Chapter 203 - Bloodline is Everything

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 203: The Absolute (2)

Crack.

The sound of teeth grinding echoed sharply.

The Dragon Slayer rose to his feet, his face twisted in rage.

"The end? You think this is over? You little bastard get one lucky hit in and suddenly think you're untouchable—!"

But as soon as he stood, he staggered again.

The damage he'd taken from Kwon Hanul was no small matter.

As the Dragon Slayer struggled to collect himself—

"…Now I understand."

Mei Xiao suddenly spoke.

"I couldn’t figure out how you were reading my movements so easily… It was because of the True Blood inside you."

When she had first heard it from Azeth Hermes, Mei Xiao had been deeply shocked.

She was also furious—that the True Bloodline of her clan had ended up in someone from the Hyukcheon bloodline.

Still, she hadn’t taken it too seriously.

After all, bloodlines, no matter how powerful, aren’t absolute.

Even someone with exceptional lineage can lose to a hunter who has trained longer and fought harder.

That’s why Mei Xiao believed she—and her Seven Plum Blossom Sword Style—could defeat Hanul.

"I was wrong. The True Blood in your body… isn’t something so easily dismissed."

Shura Bloodline—a bloodline that grants peerless martial talent.

Those born with Shura Bloodline can master a hundred weapons simply by learning one.

But that’s not all.

They subconsciously read their opponents’ movements, allowing them to dominate in battle strategy.

This fight between Mei Xiao and Kwon Hanul was, in truth, a battle between pure Shura Bloodline and true Shura Bloodline.

And naturally, pure blood cannot defeat true blood.

—You're quick on the uptake.

Hanul responded calmly. It wasn’t something worth hiding anyway.

"Hah…"

Mei Xiao let out a hollow laugh.

As long as Hanul possessed True Blood, her skills—everything she’d built up until now—meant nothing.

Which meant… there was no true “gap” between them.

Not just her—

Even the Dragon Slayer’s Red Dragon Star didn’t work against Hanul.

On the other hand, Hanul had enhanced his physical power to the extreme using the True Black Dragon Bloodline.

There was no advantage between the Dragon Slayer and Hanul either.

Perhaps things might’ve turned out differently with other Absolutes.

But because it was Mei Xiao and the Dragon Slayer—it had come to this.

Only now did Mei Xiao realize why Hanul had stood so confidently before the two of them.

"Dragon Slayer. Swallow your pride."

"…What?"

The Dragon Slayer’s eyes widened at the unexpected remark.

"You trying to be funny right now?"

"I’m serious. Kwon Hanul—he’s not someone you can defeat by holding back."

The Dragon Slayer’s face twitched.

He had long stood as an Absolute, one of the strongest hunters in the world, feared even by the Hyukcheon clan.

Which is why he couldn’t easily accept Mei Xiao’s words—to take Hanul seriously.

"And if we keep dragging this out, Kwon Myung-woo will recover and rejoin the fight."

That next statement froze the Dragon Slayer’s face.

Hyukcheon’s Strongest Fist.

A monstrous fighter, feared even when Mei Xiao and the Dragon Slayer joined forces.

If he returned, the outcome of this battle would be obvious.

"So set your pride aside."

Mei Xiao reversed her grip on her longsword. The blade hummed with power as a sword cry echoed through the air.

Aura surged from the blade, then condensed back into it.

The once formless aura hardened into a dense mass—and then began to radiate blinding light.

Sword Aura.

A martial art so rare that only a handful among the Absolutes could wield it.

The Sword Aura radiated a lethal presence.

Even standing a distance away, Hanul felt like his skin was being cut.

"Damn it. Never in my life has my pride been trampled like this."

The Dragon Slayer grit his teeth, his expression full of resentment.

Then, an explosive surge of mana erupted from him.

Strangely, it was far more powerful than anything he’d released earlier. And it kept growing stronger by the second.

"Red Dragon Star isn’t just a gift that weakens dragonkind."

The Dragon Slayer cracked his neck as he spoke. Even mid-sentence, his mana continued to swell.

"When facing dragons, it amplifies my power too."

"And the stronger the dragon I face… the greater the amplification."

The Dragon Slayer stretched both arms wide.

The newly amplified mana exploded outward again.

His hair turned crimson. Not just his hair—his eyebrows, all his body hair flushed red.

"Khh…"

The Dragon Slayer trembled slightly.

The berserk mana coursing through him brought a euphoric sense of omnipotence.

"This level of amplification… this is a first for me. As expected of True Blood."

He extended both arms again.

The power of Dragonbane Star condensed in his hands, forming two massive phantom greatswords.

"Now then, round two!"

He charged. A red beast on the hunt.

Closing the distance in a flash, he brought down the twin blades.

Made of pure mana without physical mass—they moved at incredible speed.

Hanul deflected the attack and prepared a counter.

But just then, a warning echoed from deep inside.

He halted his arm mid-motion.

Then kicked off the ground and leapt backward.

Just in time.

The greatsword nicked his chest as it passed.

…!

The protective scale plating on his chest shattered.

The Dragonbane Star’s mana had nullified even his draconic powers.

Had he tried to block it, he would’ve lost that arm.

"Sharp little bastard, aren’t you?"

The Dragon Slayer clicked his tongue and followed with a flurry of strikes from both greatswords.

Hanul dodged the trajectory of the blades, weaving between them.

Every time the mana from the swords brushed against him, his armor cracked further.

A perilous situation.

But Hanul’s eyes remained calm.

His pupils darted, reading the Dragon Slayer’s every move.

And the moment he spotted an opening—he struck without hesitation.

Kicking off the ground, he shot up and slammed his knee into the Dragon Slayer’s face.

"Grah!"

The Dragon Slayer’s head snapped back.

It was the perfect opportunity for a follow-up.

But Hanul couldn’t continue the assault.

His knee was shattered.

At the moment of impact, the power of Dragonbane Star had surged up the Dragon Slayer’s face and destroyed Hanul’s own knee from the inside.

He needed time to regenerate.

And in that time, the Dragon Slayer recovered from the blow.

"Ahahah! You shouldn’t go head-to-head, brat! I’m wielding the power to slay dragons!"

The Dragon Slayer laughed maniacally and raised his greatswords again.

Hanul didn’t dodge. He stood firm and took a deep breath.

<Authority: “Dragon Eye” dominates the battlefield.>

<Authority: “Azure Sea Dragon Horn” amplifies your mana!>

Even with both powers activated—it wasn’t enough.

To pierce through Dragonbane Star, he needed more.

<Authority: “Wish Pearl– Yin and Yang” is manifesting.>

A small orb appeared before Hanul’s eyes.

It began to glow, radiating power.

The mana spilled like water, flooding the floor entirely.

"What the hell are you doing now?!"

Even the Dragon Slayer faltered for a moment.

The mana on the floor swirled around Hanul— then began to gather into his hands.

Facing the Dragon Slayer, Hanul unleashed his Dragon Demon Aura.

And in that instant—

"Did you forget about me?"

Mei Xiao appeared behind him.

Her sword, brimming with Sword Aura, aimed straight at his back.

—So you came after all.

Just as she lunged forward, Hanul raised his other hand toward her.

The Dragon Demon Aura that had flooded the floor surged into him— and was released all at once through both palms.

Black Dragon Ascension Art – Advanced Form

Annihilation Technique: Radiant Mirror Break

The unleashed Dragon Demon Aura swept through both the Dragon Slayer and Mei Xiao.

But in that moment, Mei Xiao dropped her longsword downward.

She then swept it up from below.

A vertical slash surged upward, cleaving the ground with a brilliant flash of Sword Aura.

The Dragon Demon Aura of Radiant Mirror Break was split cleanly in half— and not just that—it sliced Hanul’s palm as well.

Blood spurted from the horizontal gash across his hand.

Just as Hanul winced and withdrew—

“HAAA!”

The Dragon Slayer roared.

The Dragonbane Star wrapped around him became a barrier, blocking the Dragon Demon Aura entirely.

No—more than just blocking it—

The mana of Dragonbane Star outright nullified it.

Like droplets of water vaporizing on a hot pan, the Dragon Demon Aura evaporated into nothingness.

Even as it surged like a tidal wave, it couldn’t break through.

Hanul’s power couldn’t pierce the Dragon Slayer’s barrier.

“No good, not good! You can’t overpower the power of a Dragon Slayer with this level of force!”

The Dragon Slayer charged through the storm of Dragon Demon Aura.

As soon as he closed the distance, he slashed with both phantom blades.

Hanul dodged and punched at the flat of one of the greatswords.

But it didn’t shatter.

Instead, the impact reverberated back into his own fist.

He retreated, gripping his injured hand.

The Dragon Slayer didn't miss the opening.

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

As Hanul braced for the next attack, a sharp killing intent swept in from the side.

He raised his forearm to shield his head—

But the Sword Aura tore through his arm like it was tofu.

—Kgh…!

Hanul let out a short groan and pulled his arm away.

At that moment, the Dragon Slayer slammed a phantom blade into his torso from behind.

“RAAGH!”

The thick blade struck him with crushing force.

The mana of Dragonbane Star shattered his armor and tore into his body.

Hanul coughed up blood as he was thrown across the field.

He barely managed to land and stabilize his footing—

But Mei Xiao was already on him, moving like a shadow.

“You didn’t forget about me, did you?”

Her hand moved.

A flurry of slashes rained down on Hanul.

Under normal circumstances, he could’ve evaded.

But now—his body was a wreck, corroded by Dragonbane Star’s mana.

Sword Aura tore through his flesh. Blood sprayed everywhere.

—…Khh.

A groan finally escaped Hanul’s lips.

His joints had been severed—he couldn’t move.

His knees buckled, hitting the ground.

That moment, Mei Xiao lunged forward and drove her blade toward his chest.

Still gripping the hilt, she leaned in close to him.

“Oh dear, that must hurt. Now do you understand a little of what my clan went through?”

Hanul grit his teeth and unleashed Dragon Demon Aura with both hands— blasting Mei Xiao back and forcing himself away as well.

The blade came free, but the wound in his chest gushed blood without pause.

“You still have the will to fight… impressive.”

Mei Xiao hovered midair, adjusting her grip on her sword.

“He’s finished now.”

The Dragon Slayer stepped up beside her.

Unlike Hanul, who was now battered and bloodied, the two of them were nearly untouched.

Hanul took a long breath.

—…So this is what it means to face Absolutes. Even after using my Authorities, I couldn’t lay a finger on you.

“I don’t find that particularly flattering.”

Mei Xiao replied with a deadpan expression.

“That a bratty little rookie like you managed to last this long against our combined assault… If word gets out, we’ll be too embarrassed to show our faces.”

“Enough with the small talk.”

The Dragon Slayer snapped with a scowl.

“Right now, killing him and then dealing with Kwon Myung-woo takes priority.”

With phantom blade in hand, the Dragon Slayer began walking forward.

—I have to admit it. In this state, there’s no way I can beat you two.

Then, Hanul spoke. His words made the Dragon Slayer halt mid-step.

“In this state? That sounds like you're saying you could beat us otherwise.”

—I could.

“Talking nonsense now that you’re on death’s door, huh.”

—Why? Don’t believe me?

Maybe the Dragon Slayer felt provoked because his bloodlust spiked.

He raised his phantom sword and roared—“If you think you can—go on and try, you cocky little bastard!”

At that moment, the draconic aura surrounding Hanul suddenly weakened and then vanished altogether.

Hanul had returned to his human form.

Even the Dragon Slayer looked stunned by the abrupt change.

“…What are you scheming?”

“You wanted to see it, didn’t you?”

Hanul closed his eyes and activated the power in his bloodline.

<‘Sacred Beast Bloodline’ awakens.>

<Authority: “Manifestation” is being activated.>

What Hanul had gained through his transformation wasn’t just a more resilient body.

The harmony between his various bloodlines had increased, allowing him access to an array of authorities.

“Black Dragon.”

Sacred Beast Blood was no exception.

Originally, this bloodline allowed one to assimilate with other beings and borrow their powers.

“Shura King.”

The higher one’s affinity with Sacred Beast Blood, the more beings they could manifest simultaneously.

“Pangu.”

Multiple assimilations meant access to multiple powers—at the same time.

“These three Origins…”

And that power applied even to semi-divine incarnations.

“…I shall now Manifest.”

<Authority: “Composite Manifestation” is being used!>

<‘Black Dragon Bloodline’, ‘Shura Bloodline’, and ‘Superhuman Bloodline’ resonate with Sacred Beast Bloodline!>

In that instant—

common sense shattered.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]