Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 105

—————

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

—————

【Bloodline is a Thug Chapter 105】

105. Underground Arena (2)

I watched quietly as the Sanchez Family bloodline was carried out on a stretcher.
The man’s solar plexus was caved in, and he was frothing at the mouth.
“What the hell was that guy doing?”
The Sanchez Family is a criminal organization with close ties to Pandemonium.
Because of that, it should have been impossible for them to enter Mystery City in the first place.
Yet not only did they manage to enter Mystery City, but they even participated in the Underground Arena located in the Central Chamber.
An ominous premonition crept up my spine.
I needed to inform Kwon Myung-woo of this fact as soon as possible.
The problem was that the match hadn’t ended yet. There was nothing I could do but postpone it.
“Still, I gained quite a lot from this.”
To maximize the power of my bloodline, I needed to increase my assimilation rate.
Normally, as the master grows, the assimilation rate increases as well.
But separate from this, there existed special circumstances where each bloodline’s assimilation rate would skyrocket explosively.
The Black Dragon Bloodline surges when fighting a strong opponent; the Dominion Bloodline surges when dominating someone.
And the Superhuman Bloodline… it seemed to surge dramatically when experiencing insubordination.
Just moments ago, when I was struck by the Sanchez Family bloodline, my Superhuman Bloodline went into a frenzy, and my assimilation rate shot up to 30% in an instant.
With the growth of my Superhuman Bloodline, not only did my strength and agility reach S-rank, but a new ability was also unlocked.
As Kwon Han-ul, I had gained quite a lot.
“Finally, I’ve qualified to enter the Heavenly Arena.”
The condition to enter the Heavenly Arena is having three or more S-rank stats.
I had raised my stamina to S-rank with the Golden Apple, and thanks to my Superhuman Bloodline this time, I had raised both strength and agility to S-rank.
With this, I had qualified to enter the Heavenly Arena.
I moved my body lightly to test it.
Strength, agility, and stamina are the foundational stats that underpin physical movement.
Perhaps because of that, I could feel that my body’s movements had changed distinctly from before.
“Excellent.”
I smiled with satisfaction. I wanted to test these stats as quickly as possible.
There was no need to worry. Soon enough, my next opponent would step into the arena.
I stood in the arena and waited leisurely for my next opponent.
After waiting for thirty minutes.
The next participant appeared from the opposite entrance.
The moment I saw the participant, I couldn’t help but be puzzled.
“…A woman?”

* * *

The instant Kwon Han-ul sent his opponent flying.
“Huh?”
Kwon Myung-woo rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. Yet the scene before him remained unchanged.
“Was that bastard really that strong?”
“Given that he possesses True Blood, his physical capabilities do exceed what his stats would suggest, but….”
Joo Ha-yeon trailed off. She was equally bewildered, after all.
No matter how you looked at it, sending an opponent all the way to that high ceiling?
After deliberation, Joo Ha-yeon offered a hypothesis.
“Perhaps the opponent was simply weak?”
“He looked fairly formidable to my eyes.”
Kwon Myung-woo stroked his chin, lost in thought.
“…Was he really weaker than I expected?”
No matter how he considered it, that explanation seemed more plausible.
“Yes, he must have been a weakling in disguise.”
Kwon Myung-woo nodded in agreement.
“But at this rate, that bastard won’t be able to practice his technique.”
Just as Kwon Myung-woo was muttering while stroking his chin.
A second contestant ascended into the arena.
“Oho, quite the audacious one, I see.”
To step forward after witnessing an opponent sent flying to the ceiling in a single blow.
Such courage could only come from genuine confidence in one’s abilities.
Yet the moment Kwon Myung-woo laid eyes on the contestant, his expression turned grave.
“…Where in the world did that monster come from?”

* * *

At the same time.
Maria Sanchez couldn’t close her gaping mouth.
Marcos Sanchez had been defeated.
If he had lost after a fierce struggle, she wouldn’t have been so shocked.
A single blow.
He lost to just one punch.
A bloodline member of the Sanchez Family, who was considered the world’s strongest and most powerful in terms of physical prowess.
“…Miss Sanchez, would you mind explaining what I just witnessed?”
Mark Goldpixie, who had approached beside her at some point, asked. His tone was far from ordinary.
“If I saw correctly, the bloodline you brought here… appears to have lost?”
The deal was to place Mark Goldpixie’s name in the Hall of Fame by winning the Underground Arena.
But things had gone wrong from the very first step. It was a troublesome situation.
“I warned you beforehand. Don’t underestimate the Underground Arena.”
“I didn’t underestimate it. Marcos was the third strongest among the bloodlines I brought with me.”
“Then what exactly did I just see?”
Displeasure settled into Mark Goldpixie’s voice.
Maria Sanchez swallowed hard. She wanted to snap back and question whether he doubted her judgment.
But the fault lay with Maria Sanchez. She had no grounds to take a strong stance.
“Please calm down. You can always send another fighter anyway.”
There was no limit to the number of fighters a sponsor could send into the Underground Arena.
If one wished, they could send one or ten fighters.
This rule could exist because the Underground Arena operated on a consecutive victory system, not a tournament format.
Since ten consecutive wins meant victory regardless, it didn’t matter how many participants were sent.
“You’ve made a fool of me.”
“I’ll take responsibility and resolve this matter. Would that satisfy you?”
“How exactly do you plan to resolve it?”
“Before that, I have one request. I want to know who that person is. Who is sponsoring them?”
A possessor of pure superhuman bloodline was crushed in a single blow. Such a skilled fighter couldn’t be common.
Since this event involved the ancestor’s treasure, caution was inevitable.
“I cannot grant that request.”
However, Mark Goldpixie shook his head.
“The Rivercrross Family manages customer relations in Mystery City. That family absolutely never discloses customer information. They say that’s the foundation upon which Mystery City is maintained.”
Mystery City was established for desire.
Countless wealthy individuals and powerful figures came to Mystery City to satisfy their secret tastes.
Desire is inherently shameful.
Knowing this well, the Rivercrross Family kept customer information tightly sealed and never revealed it.
“…Then there’s no choice.”
Suddenly, Maria Sanchez stood up from her seat. She removed her coat and put on a mask.
Mark Goldpixie’s eyes widened at the sight.
“Surely… you’re not planning to enter yourself?”
“Marcos is the third strongest among the Sanchez Family bloodline members who came with me. Since Marcos lost, it’s only right that I step forward.”
“But if your identity is exposed during the match, everything is finished!”
The world harbored countless criminals beyond measure.
Among them, Maria Sanchez’s infamy stood unparalleled.
In every nation that existed on this earth, merely hearing her name was enough to make people shudder.
“Don’t worry.”
Maria Sanchez spoke with composure.
“How could I call myself a criminal if I can’t even manage that level of acting?”

* * *

Kwon Han-ul observed the fighter who had stepped into the arena.
Her frame was small and delicate—utterly incongruous with this brutal battleground.
Yet his instincts screamed a warning.
Do not let your eyes leave the woman before you, not for a single moment.
“Sigh….”
The woman exhaled abruptly. With the mask obscuring her face, I couldn’t discern her expression.
“You’ve made a mess of everything. What are we going to do about this?”
Kwon Han-ul’s brow furrowed slightly—as if questioning what nonsense she was spouting.
“But haven’t we met somewhere before? Your appearance seems strangely familiar.”
“You’re wearing a mask. How could you possibly tell?”
“I can. Build, mana signature, other distinctive features—people have many characteristics.”
The woman’s gaze swept over Kwon Han-ul from head to toe.
“It does feel familiar somehow. But I can’t quite place it. Has my memory gotten this bad?”
Never mind.
The woman shook her head and spoke.
“Let me apologize first. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“If things hadn’t turned out this way, I wouldn’t have needed to participate, and you would have become the champion.”
“You’re speaking as if you’ve already won.”
At Kwon Han-ul’s words, the woman let out a soft laugh.
“If you knew who I was, you’d collapse right where you stand.”
Kwon Han-ul’s eyes twitched slightly.
I could tell the woman was strong. The fact that I couldn’t gauge her exact level suggested she might be even more powerful than myself.
But being dismissed like this was infuriating.
“Oh, looks like you’re angry.”
The woman immediately detected the subtle shift in Kwon Han-ul’s emotions.
“That’s understandable. But once you learn who I am, you’ll think differently.”
The woman raised her small, delicate fists.
Kwon Han-ul took his stance as well, ready to deflect her attack at any moment.
The two stood in silence, eyes locked in an unreadable stare. An inexplicable tension suffocated the Underground Arena. The spectators watched them without a word, holding their breath.
“Ah, that’s right.”
Then the woman broke the silence.
“I need to settle that bastard’s score.”
Without warning, she advanced toward Kwon Han-ul.
Her gait was light, as though she were merely taking a stroll. Openings riddled her stance everywhere.
Kwon Han-ul watched her with eyes narrowed to slits, his gaze unwavering.
Seeing his expression, the woman smiled and spoke.
“Why do you look so frightened? As if I would do something like….”
In that instant, Kwon Han-ul drove his foot into the ground. He bent his waist forward with tremendous force. Simultaneously, he swung his arm in a wide arc.
His fist, channeling every ounce of his strength and weight, crashed into the woman’s face. A tremendous sound echoed through the arena.
“…Wow.”
Yet the woman remained unscathed. More than that—she hadn’t budged an inch backward.
“You really show no mercy, even to women.”
In that moment, she moved.
She planted her foot firmly into the ground. Channeling that force directly, she drove her fist upward.
From below to above.
Her fist struck Kwon Han-ul’s abdomen with devastating force.
In that instant, the entire Underground Arena trembled.

* * *

Crunch.
The sound of muscle and bone being compressed echoed through the air.
The woman, Maria Sanchez, stared at Kwon Han-ul with a look of shock.
She had thrown her fist with the resolve to send him flying through the ceiling, yet Kwon Han-ul’s feet remained planted firmly on the ground.
That wasn’t all.
The punch that should have pierced his abdomen was blocked by his forearm.
She couldn’t go all out—her identity couldn’t be revealed.
Yet she hadn’t held back either.
She had struck with a speed that couldn’t be evaded, with a force that couldn’t be stopped—or so she thought.
“…I almost thought my arm would break.”
A restrained voice escaped Kwon Han-ul’s lips.
“…How did you block it?”
It was a question laden with multiple meanings. To that, Kwon Han-ul replied curtly.
“Well.”
The truth was simple. The Diamond Body Technique and Overlord Star enveloping my body, enhancing my physical capabilities.
And one more thing.
The Mysterious Dragon Ascension Technique—Basic Form.
The Protective Steel Block Formation.
It was only possible thanks to using the Protective Formation.
Kwon Han-ul pushed Maria Sanchez’s body away and retreated backward.
He rubbed the forearm that had blocked her punch as he spoke.
“So you were Maria Sanchez.”
At those words, Maria Sanchez’s face hardened like stone.
“…How did you know?”
“You possess a superhuman bloodline, and there’s no other woman with this level of skill besides you.”
Kwon Han-ul had never met Maria Sanchez before.
However, on the way back from completing the escort mission for the Takamine Family in Japan, Joo Ha-yeon had told him about her.
Iron Fortress Maria Sanchez.
A prodigy who had risen to a council seat in Pandemonium at the youngest age.
Even within the Sanchez Family, there were few who could match her abilities, or so he’d heard.
“The one I fought at first was also from the Sanchez Family, and now it’s Maria Sanchez…”
Kwon Han-ul rubbed his forearm as he spoke.
“What exactly are you scheming?”
In that moment, Maria Sanchez’s aura shifted.
“I was going to spare your life out of mercy.”
Maria Sanchez unleashed her killing intent.
Merely by releasing her aura, an overwhelming pressure descended as if my entire body was being crushed.
“I’ll just have to kill you here instead.”
Murderous intent flickered in Maria Sanchez’s eyes.
Despite her slender frame, she seemed like a towering giant standing before me.
“…This is genuinely dangerous.”
The overwhelming aura was incomparably more formidable than that of Jose Dil Pablo, whom I had fought before.
Cold sweat trickled down my forehead.
That was when it happened.
【Your True Superhuman Bloodline senses the aura of a Pure Superhuman Bloodline.】
【Intense fury erupts at the discourteous behavior of an inferior bloodline!】
A message materialized before my eyes.

—————

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

—————