Chapter 206

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 206: Secret Vault (1)

A black powder-like substance began rising from Mei Xiao’s body.

The particles drifted into Mei Hong’s body, and immediately afterward, a wave of vertigo hit her—like the whole world was spinning out of control.

Once the dizziness subsided, countless fragments of knowledge surfaced and then sank back down again. Taking a deep breath, Mei Hong swung her longsword.

She slashed dozens of times in the blink of an eye, yet not a single sound followed. Everything remained still, as if nothing had happened.

“I can’t believe the day would come when I’d actually learn that woman’s swordsmanship...” Mei Hong muttered, clearly displeased.

What she had just performed was Mei Xiao’s assassination sword style.

And it wasn’t just that. Mei Hong quickly realized her mana control had also changed—without her even noticing it.

It was now far more efficient, and the output she could generate at once had increased significantly.

She triggered her aura just to test it, and what emerged was far denser and sharper than anything she had ever produced before.

“...Good lord.”

Although she had absorbed everything from Mei Xiao, the rate at which she could replicate it didn’t even reach a third.

Still, that alone had already raised Mei Hong’s capabilities to an astonishing level.

“I hate to admit it, but... she really was something else.” She murmured, impressed despite herself, as she slid the longsword back into its sheath—

“Yikes. That was chilling. Turning your own blood relative into a Ghostblade?”

“What’s the big deal? They were enemies anyway. Blood relative or not, that makes them strangers.”

Startled, Mei Hong snapped her head around. There, crouched behind the wreckage, were Kwon Myung-woo and Kwon Biryuk, peeking at her.

“Ah, don’t mind us, kid. Just go on and finish what you were doing.”

“You senile lunatic. You think saying that now is going to make her calmly accept it?”

The two old men bickered as they glared at each other. Unable to contain her exasperation, Mei Hong cut in.

“What are you two even doing here?”

“Me? This old fart here said he had business with Gael Garcia from your team, so I came to keep an eye on him. Then I spotted you and thought I’d see what you were up to.”

“I told you, I’m not here to cause trouble! Can’t you trust anything I say? Since when did the Strongest Fist of Hyukcheon become so narrow-minded?”

They glared at each other again, then Kwon Biryuk clicked his tongue and turned to leave.

“Forget it. I’d rather finish what I came to do than waste words with you.”

“Says the one who's been following me around!”

“Then why do you keep tailing me?”

Arguing all the while, the two old men eventually wandered off somewhere.

Mei Hong stood frozen for a long while, staring blankly in the direction they’d gone, utterly bewildered.

* * *

“...Haah.”

Kwon Hudon let out an involuntary sigh. Gael Garcia, watching him with a confused look, asked, “Why do you look like someone just died? Captain’s fine. The whole team’s safe too.”

“Hm? Ah, sorry. Didn’t mean to worry you.”

Kwon Hudon scratched his head in response, but he still wore an unsettled expression.

“If something’s bothering you, just say it. I’ll listen. We’re comrades, after all.”

Stunned by those words, Kwon Hudon’s eyes widened.

Tears welled up as he looked at Gael.

“Gael...!”

Gael didn’t even flinch—despite how awkward that must’ve felt.

“It’s just... I’m worried about what comes next.”

“What comes next?”

Gael couldn’t make sense of it.

Kwon Hanul was a powerhouse acknowledged even within the Hyukcheon Group. Not just him—his unit, the Dark Shade Squad, had a bright future ahead.

“I think Hanul might be getting too strong.”

That confused Gael even more. Isn’t having an exceptional leader supposed to be a good thing?

“He was already at world-ranking level, then suddenly he’s outpacing even double-digit rankers—and now he’s taken on two Absolutes at once... and won.”

Considering Hanul’s secret, it wasn’t an impossible feat. Multiple bloodlines aided him.

“But what about the rest of us?”

Kwon Hudon’s face grew dark.

“Can we even break into the bottom of the world rankings? Can people like us really be of help to Hanul?”

Now Gael understood what he meant.

“At this rate, we’ll just drag him down. No—more likely, we’ll fall so far behind that we won’t even be able to follow him anymore.”

Even after hearing that, Gael had no comforting words to offer.

Because he, too, had entertained those same thoughts before.

He had joined Hanul out of gratitude—Hanul had avenged his sworn enemy. But rather than repaying that favor, Gael had only been relying on him ever since.

“This won’t do.”

Kwon Hudon’s voice was filled with resolve. Gael was nodding internally when—

“Stop following me already!”

“Who said I’m following you? I’m going to see Hanul!”

“You just said you were keeping tabs on me!”

“I am keeping tabs! But I’ve also got questions for Hanul!”

The familiar voices of Kwon Myung-woo and Kwon Biryuk approached, yelling at each other.

“G-Granduncle?” Hudon blurted out, startled. The two elders finally stopped yelling.

“Hudon, is Hanul awake?”

“Ah—yes, sir!”

Hudon and Gael stepped aside. On the makeshift cot lay Kwon Hanul, who blinked in surprise.

“Granduncle?”

Hanul tried to sit up, but his whole body trembled—he couldn’t move.

“It’s fine. Just stay lying down.”

Kwon Myung-woo said as he looked over to Joo Hayun.

“Hayun, I need to speak with him in private. Could you take the others and give us the room?”

“...Understood.”

Joo Hayun summoned two chairs from her subspace and disappeared with Hudon and Gael.

Only the three men remained in the empty, ruined space. A strange silence hung between them.

“You know why I asked Hayun to step out, don’t you?”

“You want to ask about my secret.”

“Exactly.”

Hanul glanced briefly at Kwon Biryuk, questioning whether it was okay to speak with an outsider present.

“He already knows everything.”

“So don’t be stingy. I’m dying to know—how can one person wield multiple bloodlines like that?”

Kwon Biryuk added with a chuckle.

“Besides, I did help your teammates. I’d say I earned the right to a little explanation.”

“Tch.”

Kwon Myung-woo clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“Relax. I already swore him to secrecy. He might be a lunatic, but he’s not the kind to break a promise.”

Trusting Myung-woo’s judgment, Hanul explained.

From the moment he arrived at the Hyukcheon Family, he had been able to acquire other bloodlines—and with them, grow stronger.

“......”

“......”

Both elders looked stunned.

“Is that really true? But why you? Why do you have such an ability?”

“That... even I don’t know.”

Hanul left out any mention of the Vessel. That was something he couldn’t tell anyone.

“I’ve always wondered why I have this power.”

And so, he feigned ignorance.

Seeing that, the two elders could no longer press him.

“A Hyukcheon bloodline user wielding other bloodlines? If the world finds out, it’ll turn everything upside down.”

Kwon Biryuk folded his arms and muttered. Hanul and Myung-woo both shot him warning looks.

“Relax. Like I said—I’ll keep your secret. But, on one condition.”

“Damn it. Can’t believe you of all people have me by the balls.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not asking anything from you. My terms are for Hanul.”

“What? Didn’t you just say you’d be asking the main family?”

“I changed my mind.”

Hanul tensed. A secret like this wasn’t going to come cheap.

“There’s someone on your team with the Sacred Beast Bloodline, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I want to take that young man as my disciple.”

Hanul’s eyes widened. Kwon Myung-woo looked just as stunned.

“W-What? A disciple?”

“Why so surprised? You know I’ve always had a thing for taking on students.”

“Sure, but... why him, specifically?”

“To fulfill a lifelong dream.”

Kwon Biryuk scratched his cheek as he explained.

“The Thunder Step actually has a twin technique—Blossom Flame Step.”

“Blossom Flame Step? Never heard of it.”

“Of course not. I never mastered it. No one’s ever seen it.”

He cleared his throat and continued.

“Just like the Thunder Step controls lightning, the Blossom Step manipulates fire. You need to be able to transform mana into flames to use it.”

Unfortunately, Kwon Biryuk had only been born with affinity for lightning.

“But when both techniques are mastered, their true potential is unlocked. Sadly, I’ve never found a single Hunter who could wield both.”

You can’t just change the attribute of your mana and call it done. You need someone who can actually transform mana into both lightning and fire.

“Then I learned about the Sacred Beast Bloodline. It can mimic the abilities of other creatures, right?”

No human had ever naturally wielded both powers—but plenty of monsters had. That gave him hope.

“If that young man has the right aptitude, he might just be able to master both skills. And with that, I’d finally see the true form of my life’s work.”

That’s why he’d come to Hanul to ask for Gael Garcia as his disciple.

“Hanul, if you accept, I’ll take your secret to the grave.”

He grabbed Hanul’s hand, his eyes full of fervor.

Hanul hesitated, then gave his answer.

“I’m sorry.”

Kwon Biryuk’s shoulders slumped at the rejection.

“So that young man matters more than your secret?”

“It’s not that—I just don’t have the right to decide that for him.”

Even as captain, Hanul had no intention of forcing Gael Garcia to do anything.

“You should ask Gael directly.”

* * *

Suddenly summoned, Gael Garcia was at a loss

“…That is why I wish to take you as my disciple.”

Kwon Biryuk had just finished explaining in detail his reasons for wanting Gael Garcia as his student.

“Captain said… my opinion matters?”

“Indeed. He insisted I ask for your consent.”

Gael fell into silent contemplation. As he remained wordless, Kwon Biryuk’s tone turned anxious.

“I am one of the top five Absolutes in the world. I give you my word—if you become my disciple…”

“How strong will I become?”

Gael cut him off bluntly.

“Why do you ask that?”

“I owe Captain a great debt. But with my current skills, no matter how willing I am, there’s nothing I can do to help him.”

That’s why Gael had no choice but to ask.

“Can I become strong enough to truly be of use?”

Kwon Biryuk’s lips twisted in amusement. He scoffed at the question.

“Hah! Such pitiful words. If you become my disciple and inherit all I have, becoming the world’s strongest is well within reach!”

“...The strongest?”

“Well, except for that bastard Kwon Hanul.”

Even he seemed to realize how absurd that sounded, quickly correcting himself.

No matter how he thought about it, surpassing Kwon Hanul was simply unrealistic.

“But reaching just below him? That’s certainly possible. What do you say?”

“I accept.”

Gael responded without hesitation. Only then did Kwon Biryuk smile in satisfaction.

“You won’t regret this.”

* * *

From a distance, Kwon Hudon watched the scene between Kwon Biryuk and Gael Garcia.

It should have been a joyful occasion—Gael becoming the disciple of someone as renowned as Kwon Biryuk—but for some reason, it left an uneasy feeling lingering in his chest.

“What’s so entertaining about just standing there watching?”

A sudden presence startled him. Kwon Myung-woo had appeared at his side without notice.

Hudon jumped and quickly bowed.

“G-G-Granduncle!”

“You’re fun to scare, I’ll give you that.”

Kwon Myung-woo chuckled. Hudon stood stiffly, unsure of what to do.

“You looked troubled, so I thought I’d speak to you.”

“D-Did I really look like that…?”

Hudon reached up to touch his face.

“Mei Hong’s inherited Mei Xiao’s power, did you know?”

“Huh? I-Is… that even possible?”

“That’s the authority of the Shura Bloodline. It allows the user to enslave the soul of the dead.”

“Ah…”

Hudon recognized the ability. He’d seen Mei Hong use it before.

“Looks like the two of them have both found their respective paths.”

“Y-Yes, I suppose so…”

“What about you? What’s your plan?”

“M-Me?”

Hudon couldn’t answer right away. No matter how much he thought about it, he hadn’t come up with one yet.

“W-Well… maybe if I just train harder…”

“And you think that’s enough to surpass those two?”

“N-Not really…”

His shoulders slumped. Kwon Myung-woo clicked his tongue.

“Listen, boy. I can’t stand seeing a member of the Hyukcheon bloodline falling behind the others.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“I’m not saying this to hear your apologies. If things keep going like this, you’ll be at the bottom of the Dark Shade Squad—and I’d rather die than allow that.”

His gaze turned fierce. Hudon trembled under its weight.

“I’ll train you myself for a while.”

Then he said something hard to believe.

“...E-Excuse me?”

“I said I’ll train you.”

“R-Really?”

Hudon’s face lit up.

To learn from the man known as the Strongest Fist of Hyukcheon—Kwon Myung-woo—meant his growth would skyrocket.

“B-But I couldn’t impose on you like that…”

“It’s not like I or the Hyukcheon Corps will be taking any missions for a while anyway.”

Myung-woo looked bitterly down at his chest.

Though he’d completed his treatment, the wound he’d received wasn’t ordinary.

He’d been pierced by a sword aura. Mei Xiao’s mana remained like poison in his body, hindering his recovery.

The Hyukcheon Corps had also taken heavy damage due to the betrayal of the Iron Corps. A third of their fighting force was lost—they needed time to recover.

“So I’ll focus on you for the time being. Or do you object?”

“N-No! Of course not!”

Hudon shook his head rapidly. Kwon Myung-woo nodded in approval.

“Good. Then I’ll raise you myself.”

“T-Thank you so much!”

“Ah, before that, give your mother a call first.”

“Yes! She’ll be thrilled to hear it!”

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

Myung-woo shook his head and added flatly, “I mean, you might die. Say your goodbyes in advance.”

Hudon blinked in confusion.

“...Pardon?”

“Among Hyukcheon members, there’s always one or two who end up dead during training. So go wrap up your affairs.”

With a pat on the shoulder, Kwon Myung-woo walked away.

Hudon trailed behind him, his voice shaky and close to tears.

“G-Granduncle! Please reconsider…!”

* * *

That night, the Hyukcheon Corps worked tirelessly to round up the remnants of the Mei Clan.

Unfortunately, they failed to locate the Aeon mages. The only evidence they found confirmed the mages had already escaped from the Secret Vault.

“So there’s nothing left behind, is there?”

Kwon Myung-woo clicked his tongue after receiving the report.

“That wretched witch Mei Xiao must’ve taken and used up everything.”

The name Secret Vault—which once referred to a vault—now seemed ironic. There wasn’t a single treasure left.

All that remained were a few modified magic swords made by Aeon.

“Tch. That really kills the mood.”

Looting is the right of the victor—and the reward for triumph.

Being robbed of that was disappointing, to say the least.

“We’re done here. Let’s pull out.”

Kwon Myung-woo ordered the withdrawal.

Kwon Hanul, too, began preparing to leave the Secret Vault.

His mana and stamina, depleted from composite incarnation, had finally recovered enough to move again—though the powers of his bloodline were still dormant.

Just then, Mei Hong tapped him lightly on the back.

“What is it?”

“I think I should tell you something first.”

She glanced around cautiously, then whispered to Hanul, “Actually… the real Secret Vault is still hidden inside this place.”

“What? Is that true?”

Mei Hong nodded fervently. Hanul looked skeptical.

“But even if there’s another vault, wouldn’t Mei Xiao have already looted it?”

“No. That place holds the truly valuable items. Mei Xiao didn’t touch it—just in case.”

“How do you know all this?”

Without a word, Mei Hong held out her longsword.

The magical energy radiating from it made Hanul flinch in shock.

“Wait… you turned Mei Xiao into a Ghostblade?”

“Yes. You’re not mad… are you?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Turning a powerful foe into a Ghostblade significantly boosts one’s combat capabilities. It’s a cause for celebration, not anger.

The only odd part was how she’d managed to bind Mei Xiao, since you can’t make Ghostblades from the dead.

“When I made her into a Ghostblade, I inherited her knowledge. And in that knowledge… was the location of the true Secret Vault.”

Mei Hong grinned.

“Come on. Let’s go see the real Secret Vault.”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]