Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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【Bloodline is a Thug Chapter 1】

Chapter 1: Bloodline is Remarkable

“I apologize, but there are no more D-rank dungeons available.”
When I arrived at the Hunter Association early that morning, the staff member delivered an absurd message.
“But I clearly received an entry ticket for the D-rank dungeon that appeared in Daejeon Seo-gu yesterday.”
To enter a dungeon, hunters need an entry ticket sold by the Association.
Securing tickets in advance was the most basic of basics.
Though I was young, I wasn’t naive enough to forget the fundamentals.
“Ah, that one. My apologies. The ticket was issued first to someone who needed it more than you, Lee Han-ul.”
“What are you saying? There was someone who applied first. You canceled it on your own and issued it to someone else?”
The staff member’s expression turned weary at my protest. They spoke to me in an irritated tone.
“That’s why I’m apologizing.”
“Is an apology the end of this?”
“When a new D-rank dungeon appears, I’ll issue the ticket to you first. How’s that?”
“I will file a complaint with the Association.”
Any employee would have been terrified by such words. Yet the staff member merely smirked.
“Do you know where this order came from? It’s a direct command from above.”
Confusion flickered across my face. Why would they go so far?
“You know Iron Fang, right? Their guild master’s second son asked the Association to find a D-rank dungeon so he could gain experience. But as you know, D-rank dungeons are scarce on the market these days.”
“Are you saying that’s why you handed over the dungeon I reserved?”
“It was unavoidable. Just accept it.”
I let out a hollow laugh. Regardless, the staff member pointed toward the door.
“If you understand, leave now. Don’t bother busy people.”

* * *

“Damn it.”
I cursed under my breath and dropped onto a bench set up in the outdoor plaza.
“Filthy bastards. No wonder they call the Hunter Association a cancer in this industry.”
Like most organizations in Korea, the Hunter Association was no exception to corruption.
Embezzlement, fraud, collusion with high-ranking guilds.
It was a place rife with problems and scandals, but because the Association wielded such enormous influence, no one dared to change it.
“Do you know how much money I sank into clearing this dungeon?”
To clear this dungeon, I’d even taken on debt.
I had no choice. During the last dungeon run, I’d been unlucky enough to encounter a dangerous monster, and all my equipment was destroyed.
In my twenty-two years of life, the only skill I’d ever learned was being a Hunter, so I couldn’t exactly switch careers now.
So I borrowed money to rent new equipment and purchased the necessary supplies.
“This is a real mess. I can’t even go to another dungeon.”
D-rank was the lowest dungeon difficulty. There was nothing below that.
But according to what the staff member said, D-rank dungeons had become far less frequent lately. I’d waited several days just to barely secure an entry ticket to a D-rank dungeon.
Going to a C-rank dungeon was far too dangerous. I knew my own limits well enough.
“How am I going to pay back this debt?”
Even as I lamented this, the interest was piling up relentlessly.
I stopped thinking for a moment and simply stared blankly out at the city.
“Dad! I finished all my practice problems today!”
“That’s my boy! How about we grab something delicious to eat later?”
A father and son walked by holding hands. When the father playfully pinched the boy’s cheek, the child burst into delighted laughter.
As if entranced, I followed the two of them with my gaze.
“That must be nice.”
To be protected by someone—that’s a truly happy thing.
Having spent twenty-two years as an orphan, I felt this truth keenly.
The orphanage where I spent my childhood was a good place, but I could never feel the warmth of family.
The day I turned eighteen, I was forced to leave the orphanage.
There were precious few things a clueless kid like me could do.
Fortunately, I had the aptitude to become a Hunter. I threw myself into the Hunter industry to survive.
But the aptitude I possessed was terribly mediocre. No guild would take on a third-rate Hunter like me.
As a result, I’d been forced to wander for the past two years.
“So the second son of Iron Fang took my dungeon, did he?”
Iron Fang.
The nation’s number-one guild, shining with prestige.
How many privileges would someone born as the second son of such a place enjoy?
And how many people would be trampled for those privileges?
“Anyway, all these high-and-mighty types are utterly repulsive.”
I was merely a third-rate Hunter, but I’d still managed to survive in this industry for three years.
Because of that, I knew just how filthy the Hunter industry truly was.
“…I suppose I should go look for any available positions.”
Occasionally, clans and guilds urgently need to recruit Hunters.
The drawback was having to match the employment preferences of the hiring Hunters, but in a situation like this, I needed to earn money by any means necessary.
Besides, a Hunter could only grow stronger by entering dungeons.
Rather than scraping together day labor jobs due to lack of funds, it was far better to push myself and enter a dungeon instead.
It was just as Lee Han-ul dusted off his pants and stood up.
That’s when several automobiles came to a halt in front of him.
These were no ordinary vehicles. They were automobiles from OGMG, a company that produced security vehicles in extremely limited quantities exclusively for high-ranking politicians and corporate magnates.
Not just one, but over ten of these luxury vehicles—each worth tens of billions—lined up in a row.
The car doors opened, and security personnel in formal suits poured out.
The moment Lee Han-ul saw them, he was startled. The aura emanating from each individual was overwhelmingly formidable, sending chills down his spine.
After all the security personnel had exited, a young woman finally emerged from the central vehicle.
She wore a crisply pressed suit jacket and formal trousers, her hair cut short to shoulder length. Despite her understated appearance, she was strikingly beautiful in a way that caught one off guard.
The woman walked toward Lee Han-ul with deliberate, measured steps.
At first, Lee Han-ul assumed she would change direction midway.
But contrary to his expectations, she stopped directly in front of him and bowed respectfully.
“Hello. You are Lee Han-ul, correct?”
Lee Han-ul studied the woman with a wary gaze.
Whoever she was, arriving in broad daylight with a top-tier luxury vehicle and over ten security personnel would naturally startle anyone.
“And who exactly are you to know my name without permission?”
“I am Joo Ha-yeon from the Heukcheon Group.”
“The Heukcheon Group?”
Lee Han-ul’s expression turned puzzled.
What kind of place was the Heukcheon Group? It was a megacorporation wielding global influence.
No, calling it merely a corporation fell short. The capital and military power possessed by the Heukcheon Group were said to rival those of major nations.
Even Korea’s top-ranked guild, Iron Fang, became insignificant dust before the Heukcheon Guild.
“What business could such a prestigious organization possibly have with me? Surely you’re not here to scout me?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it.”
“I figured. Why would the Heukcheon Group bother recruiting a third-rate Hunter like me?”
A self-deprecating smirk played at the corners of Lee Han-ul’s mouth.
“Then what is this about? You didn’t come here just to ask for directions out of boredom. Don’t waste my time—speak plainly.”
“Lee Han-ul, do you remember anything about your parents?”
It was an unexpected question. Lee Han-ul made no effort to hide his displeasure.
“Are you picking a fight with me right now?”
“Your father is Kwon Cheon, the second son of Kwon Seon-woo, the chairman of the Heukcheon Group.”
For the first time in a long while, Lee Han-ul felt the muscles in his face stiffen rigidly.
“What nonsense are you—”
“It is not nonsense.”
“It is nonsense. I grew up in an orphanage since childhood. There’s no way my father could be someone so important.”
“Kwon Cheon left the Heukcheon Group long ago and went into hiding. After that, he married and had you.”
Joo Ha-yeon continued speaking calmly.
“Unfortunately, Kwon Cheon and his wife passed away from illness. After that, Lee Han-ul was placed in the Orphanage.”
My words caught in my throat.
I ran my fingers along my lips for a long moment. What could I possibly say? No words came.
“The Heukcheon Group searched for Kwon Cheon for a very long time. Only recently did we discover that both he and his wife had passed away, and learn of your existence.”
Joo Ha-yeon bowed deeply to me once more.
“Your grandfather, Kwon Seon-woo, chairman of the Heukcheon Group, has ordered that you be brought to Heukcheon.”
Joo Ha-yeon gestured toward the vehicle. The line of bodyguards standing at attention bowed in unison.
“Lee Han-ul, please come with me to Heukcheon.”
That day, my life changed.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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