Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 128

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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 128】

128. The Invisible Gap (2)

I will stand against Heukcheon.
At Catalina Blaga’s declaration, the elders fell silent.
Beyond their bewilderment, a question surfaced in every elder’s mind.
Why was she so obsessed with Kwon Han-ul?
The Blaga Family bloodline was inherently possessive by nature, and Catalina Blaga was even more so than most.
Yet she was someone who understood restraint. She was not the type to wage war against Heukcheon over a mere man.
Still, they could not simply stand by and do nothing. Waging war against Heukcheon would be tantamount to suicide.
Every elder’s gaze turned toward Simong Blaga.
He was the only one present who could possibly persuade Catalina Blaga at this moment.
“Catalina.”
Simong had already sensed the elders’ expectations.
“As I too am of the Blaga Family bloodline, I understand well how difficult it is to relinquish a treasure once it has fallen into one’s hands.”
Simong spoke in a measured tone, and Catalina Blaga listened without interruption.
“However, it is impossible for the Blaga Family to wage war against Heukcheon.”
The Blaga Family had never been a house of warriors. They had maintained their position solely through information and intelligence.
“If we mobilize all the connections the Blaga Family has cultivated, we might achieve parity. But even then, we could not endure for long.”
“I have already made myself clear. I have no intention of returning Kwon Han-ul.”
“What if I possessed a method that could prevent war and secure Kwon Han-ul for you?”
Catalina Blaga’s eyebrows rose.
“Is such a thing possible?”
“Catalina, it seems you have forgotten. Who we are and how we have lived.”
The Blaga Family.
A house that has survived by using bloodline power to bewitch humans, beasts, and monsters alike.
“We dominate Kwon Han-ul, then return him to Heukcheon. We persuade Kwon Seon-woo to cease the war, and afterward, when the opportunity arises, we issue a recall command. Would that not suffice?”
Catalina Blaga’s brow furrowed.
“If that were possible, why would I have remained idle? Kwon Han-ul is…”
“I am aware. Your seduction has proven ineffective against him, or so they say?”
Catalina Blaga clicked her tongue softly. The fact that she had failed to break Kwon Han-ul seemed deeply humiliating to her.
“But even if your seduction did not work, perhaps ours might succeed, would it not?”
Simong placed a hand over his heart as he spoke.
“Using my ‘humiliation,’ the ‘suffering’ and ‘delusions’ of the other elders—we might shatter Kwon Han-ul’s mental fortitude and bring him under our control.”
Simong continued.
“Even if we cannot dominate him completely, we can certainly shake his mind. Then would it not become far easier for you to dominate Kwon Han-ul?”
Catalina Blaga said nothing. It was clear she disliked the other elders involving themselves in matters concerning Kwon Han-ul.
“…All right.”
But in the end, I relented.

* * *

“Enough.”
After being dragged along by Rabbit, I was listening to a clear account of the conflict that erupted between the Australian military and rabbits in the 1850s when Troy suddenly shouted.
“I didn’t come here to listen to such nonsense about how humans and rabbits fought.”
“But this is where it gets interesting….”
Leaving the dejected Rabbit behind, Troy turned back toward where Kwon Han-ul was.
He intended to keep watch outside Kwon Han-ul’s door to more reliably carry out Catalina Blaga’s orders.
“Are you really sure you don’t want to hear? Why didn’t the rabbits, despite their numerical advantage, flee and instead stood against modern weapons?”
“Cut the bullshit.”
Troy pushed away the persistently clinging Rabbit several times before arriving at Kwon Han-ul’s room.
Just as he was about to position himself beside the door and begin his watch—
The door suddenly swung open.
“Huh?”
The person who opened the door was Kwon Han-ul. He looked at Troy and spoke with surprise.
“What are you doing here?”
“Didn’t I tell you? I’m going to keep watch over you.”
Kwon Han-ul’s expression grew uncomfortable.
“Don’t mind me and just do what you need to do.”
“How can I not mind it? You said you’d follow me wherever I go.”
“That’s right. It’s already been decided. You’ll have to adapt to it.”
It was truly absurd.
“Fine, do as you please.”
Kwon Han-ul moved forward. Troy followed close behind and asked.
“Where are you going?”
“Just taking a walk.”
Doubt crossed Troy’s face. It was an unexpected action.
But Kwon Han-ul truly was just wandering around the Mansion. Occasionally, he would also look around the Garden.
Troy silently followed behind Kwon Han-ul.
Then it happened.
A chill ran down the back of my neck. Troy reflexively turned around.
But there was no one behind me.
Troy rubbed the back of his neck and muttered. Then he looked forward again. Kwon Han-ul wore a bewildered expression.
“Why did you suddenly do that?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Kwon Han-ul shook his head at Troy. Even so, he continued to rub the back of his neck.
An ominous feeling refused to fade.
Throughout all this, Troy continued to follow Kwon Han-ul.
Kwon Han-ul passed through the Garden and headed toward the rear of the Mansion.

* * *

“Quite perceptive, isn’t he?”
After Troy departed, Kwon Han-ul emerged from a corner of the Garden.
“I didn’t expect him to react so sensitively to the illusion.”
The moment I cast the illusion, I concealed my body. The Kwon Han-ul that Troy was seeing was nothing but a phantom.
“Ugh.”
A sharp pain pierced through both my eyes. I cradled them gently in my palms.
“This isn’t an ability meant for prolonged use.”
The reason I could cast an illusion on Cavaliers Umbra, who possessed far superior strength than myself, lay in a single truth.
It was because the Genius Bloodline allowed me to perceive the weak points in mental barriers with my own eyes.
The Genius Bloodline was originally a lineage that expanded the brain’s capacity.
By combining it with the Servant Bloodline, I gained the ability to visually confirm another’s mental fortitude.
As a result, wielding the Servant Bloodline’s authority became far easier, though the burden on my brain had grown proportionally.
“I need to move now.”
While the illusion’s duration was considerable, I couldn’t deceive Troy forever.
I had to achieve my objective before Troy noticed anything amiss.
I left the Garden and wandered through the Blaga Family’s grounds.
As a precaution, I cast illusions on everyone I encountered, rendering myself invisible to their eyes. It felt as though I had become a phantom.
“Let me see… where the cargo ships dock…”
I traversed the grounds, verifying the geography and layout I had only memorized from maps. I confirmed the shortest route from the Mansion to the cargo ships.
Afterward, I continued exploring the Blaga Family’s compound.
That was when I reached the outer perimeter.
I instinctively retreated. An ominous presence emanated from a Chapel built at a considerable distance away.
Moreover, the source of that presence wasn’t singular. Multiple auras were intertwined—and among them, I sensed Catalina Blaga.
Against targets radiating such intense power, illusions proved ineffective.
I should have fled immediately, yet curiosity got the better of me.
In the end, I hid behind a tree and observed the Chapel.
Not long after, the Chapel’s doors opened. Several figures emerged from within.
“So Simon will take the first move?”
Catalina Blaga appeared first. Soon after, a middle-aged man stepped into view.
“Yes, I shall subdue Kwon Han-ul first.”
“Please don’t be too harsh. If his body sustains serious injury…”
“I’ll exercise caution.”
With those words, the man called Simon began moving toward a destination.
It was in the direction of the Mansion where Kwon Han-ul was confined.
I hastily abandoned my position and hurried back to the Mansion.
Troy was still wandering through the Mansion, chasing after the hallucination Kwon Han-ul had created.
Seizing the opportunity, I swapped places with the fake Kwon Han-ul that Troy was following. Then I retreated to my room to wait.
Not long after I began waiting in my room, a servant knocked on the door.
“A guest is waiting for you in the Reception Room.”
Kwon Han-ul headed to the Reception Room of the Mansion with the servant.
The middle-aged man who had been conversing with Catalina Blaga was waiting for Kwon Han-ul.
“My name is Simong Blaga. I am an elder of the Blaga Family.”
Kwon Han-ul examined the middle-aged man before him.
His meticulously groomed mustache and elegant bowler hat were striking.
He was the very embodiment of the word “gentleman.”
“My name is Kwon Han-ul.”
“I already knew that. The true bloodline of the Heukcheon Estate, they say.”
Simong examined Kwon Han-ul with an intrigued expression. Then he spoke to him.
“I have come to bring you to heel.”
Upon hearing Simong Blaga’s declaration, Kwon Han-ul did not take it particularly seriously. If Catalina Blaga could not subdue him, what could other elders possibly do?
“It seems you believe I cannot handle you.”
The words struck a nerve. Kwon Han-ul concealed his reaction and spoke.
“To be honest, yes.”
“Since Catalina could not subdue you either, it’s only natural you’d have such confidence.”
Then Simong’s eyes crinkled with a smile. It looked deeply ominous.
“The human spirit is truly mysterious—sometimes as solid as stone, yet other times as fragile as water.”
Though Catalina Blaga’s methods had failed, he was implying his would be different.
“Care to make a wager with me?”
At the word “wager,” Kwon Han-ul reacted. Few in this world loved gambling as much as he did.
“What kind of wager?”
“Your specialty is martial arts, correct?”
“That is true, but—”
“Then we shall duel in martial arts.”
Kwon Han-ul frowned.
Simong Blaga’s hands were smooth and pristine, as if they had never touched water in their entire life.
They were hardly the hands of a martial artist. Yet now he was proposing a martial arts duel?
“If you land even a single finger on my body, victory is yours. What do you say?”
The victory condition was absurdly easy—merely making contact?
“I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but don’t regret it later. Perhaps we should choose a different wager.”
“Lacking confidence?”
At the provocative remark, Kwon Han-ul’s expression twisted.
“I heard the Heukcheon was a family of martial artists. It seems I was mistaken. A family of cowards, perhaps?”
“Mind your words.”
Kwon Han-ul’s voice dropped to a dangerous tone. He too was of the Heukcheon Bloodline. He could not abide insults to his family.
“Then prove it to me directly.”
“Very well.”
At Kwon Han-ul’s reply, Simon’s lips curved upward.
“Then shall we begin right away?”
“Here?”
“Why? Do you need time to prepare? I can give you as much as you want.”
Kwon Han-ul chuckled softly. This too was a provocation—one I couldn’t help but fall for, even knowing it.
“Let’s just start now.”
“That’s a good idea—”
Before he could finish, I threw a punch. It was a flawless strike, exploiting every opening.
But Simon caught my fist with infuriating ease.
“Quite the impatient one, aren’t you?”
I withdrew my fist and attempted a second attack.
In that instant, impact crashed into my abdomen. My body flew backward and slammed into the wall.
“Ugh.”
I pushed myself up, clutching my stomach. When I lifted my head, I saw Simong Blaga standing in the center of the Reception Room.
“Surely you’re not thinking of giving up already?”
My mind raced.
‘Was he hiding his true strength?’
I immediately rejected the notion. Through countless bloodlines, I could assess an opponent’s level from multiple angles.
Simong Blaga was not a martial artist. There was no error in that judgment.
‘Did he overwhelm me through sheer stats?’
That too was wrong. Simong Blaga had insisted on fighting with martial arts alone. And the counterattack he’d just displayed was flawless.
‘A non-martial artist wielding perfect technique.’
Something impossible was happening.
‘…An illusion?’
The thought suddenly struck me. I activated both the Genius Bloodline and the Servant Bloodline simultaneously.
Only then could I see it.
The power of the Servant Bloodline enveloping Simong Blaga’s body.
“Standing there like a frightened dog—how pathetic.”
Simon spoke with a laugh. My gaze turned glacial.
I pushed off the ground and charged at Simong Blaga.
In that moment, Simong Blaga’s power descended upon me.
An illusion unfolded before my eyes.
The illusion transformed into Simong Blaga. It blocked my punch and struck my jaw hard. I staggered backward from the impact.
The illusion vanished, and the real Simong Blaga spoke with a sneer.
“The same attack again. How dull.”
I smirked in return.
The sensation in my hand, the impact on my face—all felt real, yet all were false.
“Now I understand.”

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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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