Bloodline is Everything
Chapter 148

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 148: Natural Enemy (3)

After returning from Babel’s party, Kwon Hanul remained on the ship, preparing for the Sky Arena. There was less than a week left until the competition opened.

But “preparing” didn’t mean he was doing anything extraordinary. He was simply checking his physical condition and reviewing the powers granted by each of his bloodlines.

He also began researching the Babel lineage— Dragonheart Bloodline.

“Let’s see here…”

Hanul peered at his laptop monitor. The screen displayed information sent by Hyukcheon’s intelligence bureau.

The Babel clan had long been at odds with Hyukcheon. Naturally, the intelligence bureau had gathered a wealth of information on them.

“Here it is—Dragonheart Bloodline.”

Hanul immediately focused on the information about Genius Bloodline.

He skipped the parts he already knew. What he was curious about was the power that came with Dragonheart Blood.

“From the moment one obtains a Dragonheart, their mana is completely transformed.”

According to the records, once the heart undergoes full mutation into a Dragonheart through Genius Bloodline, the person’s mana changes fundamentally.

Its purity is refined. Its quality is heightened. Its efficiency improves. But that’s not even the half of it—the very grade of mana elevates.

If an ordinary hunter’s mana was like graphite, then Dragonheart-enhanced mana was on par with diamond.

“Drastically increased resistance to all attributes. Amplified power of elemental skills. Automatic disassembly and absorption of nearby skills… Is that even possible?”

Hanul couldn’t help but be stunned.

If this information was accurate, it meant that most skills wouldn’t even be able to scratch a member of the Babel bloodline.

Even high-level skills or expert fighters would struggle to land effective hits. The sheer gap in mana quality would nullify most attacks.

“The true power of Dragonheart Blood lies in the Dragon Tongue. By speaking specific words, the user can manipulate reality itself.”

Hanul’s eyes gleamed.

He’d heard of the Dragon Tongue plenty of times. It was the defining trait of the Babel clan.

A language only those with a Dragonheart could use. A power that could trigger all manner of supernatural phenomena with mere words.

There was a well-known tale of a pure-blood Babel scion who once froze an oncoming tsunami with just one phrase of Dragon Tongue.

“What are you reading so intently?”

Joo Hayun set down her teacup and asked, sneaking a side glance at the monitor.

“The Babel clan, huh… You must’ve been really impressed at the party.”

“Well… I suppose so.”

In truth, it was because Hanul had acquired Dragonheart BloodLINE himself. But he didn’t reveal that, choosing instead to deflect.

“They’re notoriously difficult opponents. Everyone I know who’s fought them says it’s like punching a blob of water.”

“Water?”

“They say no matter how much you hit them, nothing gets through. And I get where they’re coming from.”

“Sounds like you’ve fought the Babel clan yourself.”

“I clashed with them plenty of times when I was working with the Chairman.”

She made a face, suggesting they weren’t pleasant memories.

“But I’m surprised. I thought someone like you would be more wary of the Dragon Slayer’s disciple.”

After all, the most dangerous foe at the party hadn’t just been Babel’s bloodline. There had also been the Dragon Slayer—the natural enemy of all dragonkin.

And in the upcoming tournament, the Dragon Slayer’s disciple would be participating as well. She was widely known for having inherited the same Gift as her master.

“Oh, you mean that woman?”

Hanul tried to recall the disciple of the Dragon Slayer. His memory was hazy—it took a while before her image came back to him.

“Hanul!”

Suddenly, the door burst open. Kwon Hudon came running in, breathless, and rushed over to Hanul’s desk.

Both Hanul and Hayun blinked in surprise.

“What is it?”

“L-Look at this!”

Hudon shoved his smartphone at him. A flurry of news headlines were displayed:

[Breaking News! A Trueblood has appeared in the Hyukcheon family!]

[First Trueblood since the Ancestors! Emergence in Hyukcheon!]

[What does the return of Trueblood mean in modern times?]

Hanul instinctively furrowed his brow, eyes glued to the screen.

“These articles have been popping up since this morning.”

Hudon was visibly nervous. The fact that Hanul was a a Trueblood was supposed to be an absolute secret. Now that it had leaked, his reaction was understandable.

But the person in question, Hanul, calmly continued reading the article.

“Hanul? You okay?” Hudon asked again, clearly unable to understand his composure. Only then did Hanul look away from the screen.

“I don’t think we need to worry about this.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… if I’m right about this…”

At that moment, Hanul’s phone rang. He checked the caller ID and answered.

—“It’s been a while.”

A familiar voice came from the other end. Hanul greeted the caller.

“Yes, Chairman. It’s good to hear from you.”

Without wasting time, he asked, “I’ve seen a lot of news about a Trueblood appearing in Hyukcheon. Did you order that?”

—“I did.”

Kwon Seonwoo answered without hesitation.

—“I gave the order.”

Just as Hanul suspected, the source of the leak was Kwon Seonwoo.

—“When I ordered you to participate in the Sky Arena, didn’t I also tell you? That I would publicly declare your identity as a Trueblood.”

“But there’s still time before the Arena begins.”

—“And if you just blurted out that you’re a Trueblood out of nowhere, who’d believe you? This is all groundwork.”

The only people known to have received Trueblood were the founding ancestors of the noble clans. These days, it was almost treated as myth.

Which meant even if Hanul told the truth, few would believe him.

—“Reporters will be coming to you soon. That’s when you confirm it.”

Eventually, Hanul would have to reveal the truth.

He’d always known that. But now that the moment was here, he found it difficult to explain the complex emotions rising inside him.

—“However, you can also choose to deny it.”

Then came a curious comment from Seonwoo.

—“There won’t be a single person in this world happy about a Trueblood appearing in Hyukcheon. In fact, it’ll make people feel threatened.”

In today’s world, hunters were considered strategic weapons.

The more elite hunters a group had, the greater its power and influence.

And now, in a family already known as the strongest—a Trueblood had emerged?

—“I guarantee it. There will be many who try to use the Sky Arena to kill you.”

Those wary of the Trueblood would see this as the perfect opportunity.

With standardized conditions and little disparity between competitors, this was their best chance to eliminate the Trueblood.

“Even if more people come after me, I don’t think anything will change.”

—“Don’t be arrogant. The Arena will be filled with prodigies, each with their own specialties. If you let your guard down, their fangs will pierce and kill you.”

Seonwoo’s warning left Hanul with little to say.

And he couldn’t deny that there was some truth to it.

There was no doubt that Hanul was vastly stronger than the other participants.

But in a public arena like this, he couldn’t freely use any bloodline power except for Black Dragon Bloodline.

So, there was no guarantee something wouldn’t go wrong.

—“And it won’t end with the Sky Arena. You’ll never live in peace again. Assassins will come for you at all hours of the day.”

After a pause, Seonwoo asked one last question.

—“Even so, will you still declare yourself as a Trueblood?”

“Yes.”

Kwon Hanul responded immediately. There was no hesitation.

“The Chairman never mentioned any benefits I would gain from revealing that I’m of true blood.”

—”Benefits, you say?”

“If I reveal that I’m of true blood, everyone will assume I’m the next head of Hyukcheon.”

The entire world would think the same.

If the true-blooded heir doesn't inherit the family, then who else could possibly be more qualified?

The Hyukcheon clan members would see it like this:

If the Chairman allowed it, that means he acknowledged Kwon Hanul.

—”Insolent brat.”

Kwon Seonwoo’s voice lowered slightly.

—”So you truly aim to become the family head.”

Kwon Hanul didn’t bother to answer.

“Since we’re on the topic, I’d like to confirm something again.”

—”And what would that be?”

“You said that if I bring glory to Hyukcheon at the Sky Arena, you’d provide all the ingredients needed for Rebirth.”

Rebirth — a mythical transformation or transcendence, often symbolizing complete physical and spiritual renewal.

—”I don’t go back on my word. If you win at the Sky Arena, I’ll ensure all the ingredients Takamine Hospital requested are provided.”

Rebirth.

Even world-dominating Hunters had yet to experience such a thing — and it was now within reach.

That alone was reason enough to win the Sky Arena.

—”There’s one more thing you should know.”

“What is it?”

—”We’ve decided to postpone Kwon Hyuk’s punishment.”

For a moment, Kwon Hanul couldn’t grasp what he had just heard.

“Vice Chairman Kwon Hyuk ordered Kwon Chan-seong to kill me.”

—”I’m aware.”

“That’s something the laws of Hyukcheon can’t allow, isn’t it?”

—”You’re right.”

“Then why…?”

—”If we lose Kwon Hyuk now, the damage to Hyukcheon will be too great.”

Kwon Hyuk had long served as Vice Chairman. Removing him would bring all his responsibilities to a standstill.

Moreover, Kwon Hyuk was considered the third most powerful person in Hyukcheon, after Kwon Seonwoo and Kwon Myung-woo.

There wasn’t a single Hunter in the Hyukcheon clan capable of filling his shoes.

—”That’s why we’ve decided to delay his punishment.”

Kwon Seonwoo wasn’t asking for Hanul’s understanding.

He was simply informing him of the decision he had made.

“Understood.”

Kwon Hanul accepted it calmly. That reaction caught Kwon Seonwoo off guard.

—”You have no objections?”

“Of course I do. Plenty.”

—”Then why don’t you say something?”

“Because I figured this is how it would go.”

He remembered what happened while he was staying with the Blaga family.

Catalina Blaga had once said this to him:

“It’s possible this won’t be enough to take down Kwon Hyuk.”

The phrase ‘It takes one to know one’ rang true.

Catalina Blaga, who had long specialized in political scheming, had her own evaluation of Kwon Hyuk:

“From what I’ve seen, Kwon Hyuk is the type to secure an escape route before doing anything — no matter how advantageous the situation seems. He’s not the kind of man to go down easily.”

She also pointed out another reason:

“Kwon Hyuk holds immense influence both inside and outside the clan. He was once called the next family head — imagine the power that comes with that. Even the Chairman would find it difficult to handle him outright.”

Thanks to her insights, Kwon Hanul had mentally prepared himself.

“I suppose this decision was made because I’m not as valuable as Vice Chairman Kwon Hyuk. I understand.”

Even with mental preparation, his emotions couldn’t be so easily dismissed.

He grumbled briefly in Kwon Seonwoo’s direction.

—”Don’t be absurd.”

An unexpected response.

—”If this decision was based purely on value, I would’ve chosen you without a second thought.”

Hanul’s mouth opened slightly in surprise. It was the first time Kwon Seonwoo had ever said something like that.

“What do you mean by that…?”

—”You seem dissatisfied, so I suppose I should give you something in return.”

“No, wait, what did you just mean about my value…?”

—”After the Sky Arena, I’ll grant you unrestricted access to the Vault.”

A monumental decision.

The Vault, which was typically opened just once for those who rendered exceptional service — to allow someone to use it freely?

But to Kwon Hanul, what he had just heard meant even more than that.

“Chairman, please stop changing the subject. About what you said earlier, about my value…”

—”That’s enough for now.”

Hanul tried to stop him, not wanting the conversation to end.

—”Also, once the Sky Arena ends, I’ll tell you everything about your father. How he died — and who your true enemy is.”

His words left Hanul speechless. Before he could respond, Kwon Seonwoo ended the call.

Hanul stared at the darkened phone screen for a long while before muttering:

“Damn it.”

What is the Chairman really thinking?

When Hanul had first met Kwon Seonwoo, he believed the Chairman despised him.

Despite being of true blood and his grandson, Seonwoo never welcomed him — if anything, he treated him with contempt, calling him the child of a traitor.

Hanul never received a single benefit due to his bloodline.

Seonwoo never gave anything easily. Everything came with a condition — a task to fulfill before he would grant anything.

Hanul had reached this point not thanks to family support, but because of the existence of other bloodlines, and through rewards he fought to claim.

That’s why Hanul had been convinced that the Chairman wanted nothing to do with him.

But lately, that belief had started to waver.

“Lord Kwon Hanul.”

There were many strange things about Kwon Seonwoo.

A few months ago, Hanul had investigated his father through the Iron Fang Guild in Korea.

It was during that time that Seonwoo passed him information — that he was the one who killed Hanul’s father, Kwon Cheon.

“Lord Kwon Hanul?”

What does Kwon Seonwoo want?

And what really happened with his father?

“Lord Kwon Hanul!”

A sudden voice snapped Hanul out of his thoughts.

When he looked up, he saw dozens of reporters gathered on the deck.

“Can we start the press conference now?” One of the reporters asked sharply. Only then did Hanul remember where he was.

“Let’s begin.”

As soon as he spoke, a wave of microphones came rushing toward him, reporters shouting all at once.

One voice rose above the rest:

“Are you really of true blood?”

The moment the question hit, Seonwoo’s warning echoed in his mind — that revealing the truth could put his life in danger.

“Yes, I am.”

So what?

Kwon Hyuk, a monstrous force in his own right, was already his enemy. A few more wouldn’t make a difference.

“How can we believe that?” One reporter yelled, clearly fishing for controversy.

Hanul stared the reporter down.

“Please just answer the question!”

He had some spine. The reporter didn’t back down.

Hanul raised a finger.

“Up there.”

He pointed not just to the sky — but beyond it, toward the Sky Arena suspended high above.

“I’ll prove it myself in the Sky Arena.”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]