Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 143

—————

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 143】

143. A New Bloodline (1)

Henrico Bighand accepted the autograph and returned to his seat.
“This isn’t how we planned it.”
The blonde man spoke with an irritable edge to his voice.
It was Aleng de Ver, a participant from the Blue Rose Guild.
“Weren’t we supposed to verify whether Kwon Han-ul’s reputation is genuine?”
Koto Hisashi, an Eastern man wearing glasses, agreed with Aleng de Ver’s words.
“You were supposed to handle Kwon Han-ul. We were supposed to clean up his teammates.”
The bald man nodded. It was Baba Boateng, the Guardian of Africa.
All three were regarded as skilled fighters among the promising participants in this Heavenly Arena.
Originally, Henrico Bighand had not approached Kwon Han-ul merely to obtain an autograph.
He had done so to verify whether the exploits circulating in public were real.
The plan was for Henrico Bighand to take on Kwon Han-ul while the other three would handle his teammates.
“Hey, why aren’t you saying anything….”
Aleng de Ver leaned forward to look at Henrico Bighand. In that moment, he could only clench his teeth.
Henrico Bighand.
The face of that rigid man was drained of all color, twisted with fear.
“Why, why are you like this?”
Henrico Bighand grabbed the wine bottle sitting on the table. He shoved the entire thing into his mouth and gulped it down.
That wasn’t enough. This time, he seized a whiskey bottle and poured it into his mouth.
“…Something’s wrong.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That man… something’s off about him….”
All participants in the Heavenly Arena could be said to be at similar levels.
It had to be that way. The entry requirement for the Heavenly Arena was three S-rank stats. Since stats were fixed, the gap between individuals wasn’t significant.
Of course, differences in talent, skill proficiency, equipment, and various other factors determined actual power. But even accounting for those, the level difference between them wasn’t that great.
…That was what Henrico Bighand had believed.
“Something… something….”
He hadn’t noticed it while approaching Kwon Han-ul.
He hadn’t felt it even when facing him and speaking.
When he was about to execute the plan.
The moment he was about to provoke Kwon Han-ul.
“Something….”
It appeared.
Something monstrous, something so eerie it defied description.
My entire body went rigid. I couldn’t think at all.
If not for the pride of representing my family, I would have turned and fled that very moment.
Fortunately, I recalled the favor my younger brother had asked of me, which gave me an excuse to smooth over the situation.
“…I won’t be participating in this Heavenly Arena.”
Henrico Bighand’s body began to tremble.
The three of them looked at each other. All their faces had gone rigid and tense.

* * *

The atmosphere in the Party Hall shifted dramatically once Sasha Babel, the Babel Family’s representative, made her appearance.
It was only natural—the host had arrived.
Moreover, the Babel Family wielded global influence. No other participant’s faction gathered here could compare to them.
Perhaps only Kwon Han-ul could. After all, the Heukcheon Group stood behind him.
“Men, honestly.”
Mei Hong’s thoughts seemed to differ slightly.
“Look at them all standing there dumbfounded. And they’re not even stupid.”
Among those who flocked to Sasha Babel, the proportion of men was notably high. Some of them were clearly infatuated with her.
“At least the men on our team aren’t like that, so I’m grateful.”
At those words, Kwon Han-ul gave a bitter smile and pointed at Hu-don.
“Han-ul, look over there! That’s Angela Hook! She’s a master archer who can burst balloons a kilometer away!”
After surveying all the male participants, Kwon Hu-don was now marveling at the female participants.
“Hu-don is just like that by nature.”
Mei Hong said it matter-of-factly.
“But I don’t see Gael anywhere.”
“Oh, he’s over there.”
Kwon Han-ul pointed to a spot some distance away.
Gael Garsian, who had gone to get food, was surrounded by women.
“Is that the person who possesses the Phantom Beast Bloodline?”
“Is it true he’s the sole survivor of the Garsian Family?”
The women were bombarding Gael Garsian with questions.
“Interesting—Gael seems to be quite popular.”
Objectively speaking, Gael Garsian was a handsome man with bold features and sharp, piercing eyes.
His appearance was certainly appealing to women, but this excessive attention wasn’t solely because of that.
“Why not join our guild? We’ll provide full support to help you restore your family.”
“Our family can do that much too. Come join us instead.”
What they truly desired was the bloodline Gael Garsian possessed.
Unlike other bloodlines already firmly established by powerful factions, the Phantom Beast Bloodline had an extremely weak foundation. They judged it could be easily drawn in.
“Didn’t Mei Hong receive similar offers?”
The Mei Family had been decimated. Though remnants still roamed about, they had no roots anywhere.
In such circumstances, many would covet Mei Hong, who possessed the Asura Bloodline.
“There wasn’t one.”
However, Mei Hong shook her head. It was then that Kwon Han-ul found her answer puzzling.
“Mei Hong?”
A deep voice rang out. A man with a scraggly beard seated himself across from her.
“If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you could spare me some time. I’m quite interested in you, you see.”
The man winked with one eye.
“….”
Mei Hong simply stared at the man in silence. Her gaze was utterly cold.
“You’re welcome to refuse, but I’d appreciate an answer.”
“….”
“Ah, perhaps you don’t know who I am? I am….”
“….”
Mei Hong merely glared at him with eyes that conveyed complete disinterest.
“I-I apologize.”
In the end, the man couldn’t withstand the oppressive weight of her presence and retreated.
“Ah, what were we discussing?”
At Mei Hong’s question, Kwon Han-ul wasn’t sure how to respond.
Now that he thought about it, before Mei Hong became part of his team, she hadn’t seemed to fit in with anyone.
“Mei Hong.”
“What is it?”
“I was just calling your name.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Mei Hong protested. Kwon Han-ul let out a laugh.

* * *

“Sigh…”
Sasha Babel sank into her seat with an exhausted expression. She was utterly drained from dealing with those bothersome men clinging to her all evening.
“Miss Sasha, you look… quite tired.”
Shahin Rasad asked with concern. Sasha Babel replied in a gentle tone.
“I’m managing fine, thank you for worrying about me.”
Shahin Rasad’s face flushed crimson. He lowered his head to hide it.
“Have you been sitting here the whole time?”
“Y-yes! I was… waiting for you, Miss Sasha.”
“Please, go enjoy yourself. I’ll be fine.”
“N-no, I’m… I’m happy like this.”
Shahin Rasad glanced sideways at Sasha Babel, but she was too busy surveying the surroundings to notice his gaze.
“By the way, where did the family head… I mean, where did Alia go?”
“Miss Alia is over there.”
Sasha Babel looked in the direction Shahin Rasad indicated. Her face immediately contorted.
“My, what an impressive castle you have. I’m quite envious.”
“Haha, it’s nothing special. I’d be delighted to invite you sometime.”
“I’m always available. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Alia Dabi, the family head of the Babel Family, was engaged in conversation with a young male hunter.
“So you defeated the Orc Lord in a single strike? Is that even possible?”
“For me, it’s simple. Look here.”
“Oh my, oh my!”
The male hunter flexed his forearm. Alia Dabi covered her mouth with her hand, feigning bashfulness.
“…Shahin.”
“Yes?”
“…Please forget what you just witnessed.”
“Yes.”
Sasha Babel clutched her head and exhaled deeply. While she suffered, Alia Dabi dismissed the male hunter and returned to her seat.
“I don’t understand why youngsters these days are so adorable. Making such a fuss over defeating a mere Orc Lord.”
Alia Dabi laughed merrily. Sasha Babel shot her a sideways glare.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…It’s nothing.”
“You should go mingle instead of sitting here. There’s no harm in catching a handsome man or two.”
Sasha Babel’s body stiffened at those words. Shahin Rasad also jumped in surprise, staring at Alia Dabi.
“Alia! Shahin can hear you!”
“Did I say something strange? You need to meet men too. Why are you making such a fuss?”
Alia Dabi replied matter-of-factly. Sasha Babel sighed.
“…So, family head, what do you think after seeing them in person?”
“They’re all trash.”
Alia Dabi answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“I invited only the top-ranked participants from the Heavenly Arena, yet I’m baffled by how mediocre they all are.”
Alia Dabi’s smile faded without warning. Her gaze turned glacial as she assessed the competitors.
“If things continue this way, you’ll claim victory.”
Then, as if nothing had changed, she offered a warm smile.
“If the family head says so, I have nothing to worry about.”
“Don’t place too much faith in my judgment. There are many who declined the invitation, after all. Besides, there’s a rumor that the Dragon Slayer’s disciple is participating in this Heavenly Arena.”
At the mention of the Dragon Slayer, Sasha Babel’s expression hardened.
The Babel Family was formidable—so much so that no faction dared challenge them.
Yet they were not supreme. Powerful forces existed that rivaled the Babel Family, such as the Hukcheon Estate.
And there existed an individual who matched the Babel Family’s strength—not as an organization, but as a single person.
That person was the Dragon Slayer.
As the title suggested, the Dragon Slayer was a hunter who specialized in hunting dragon-type monsters.
This was possible because of a unique gift the Dragon Slayer possessed.
This gift, which suppressed all of a dragon-type monster’s abilities, also applied to the Babel bloodline, who carried dragon ancestry.
“And that boy is no pushover either.”
Alia Dabi’s gaze fixed on a man in the distance.
Kwon Han-ul.
A competitor from the Hukcheon Estate.
Sasha Babel found herself tensing involuntarily.
In truth, Kwon Han-ul was the competitor she was most wary of.
Various rumors circulated about him.
Even if only half of them were true, Sasha Babel could not defeat Kwon Han-ul.
“Is that man really so strong?”
“I cannot say.”
“Pardon?”
Alia Dabi shook her head as she spoke.
“I cannot gauge his level. He conceals his aura with remarkable precision.”
Even though Alia Dabi had lost all her strength due to an incurable illness, she had once been counted among the strongest beings.
That even her senses could not measure him was nothing short of extraordinary.
“I cannot be certain, but… perhaps all the rumors about that man are actually true.”
Alia Dabi gazed at Kwon Han-ul for a long moment. Then she turned to Sasha Babel and asked.
“Sasha, what do you think of that man as a potential husband?”
*Cough.*
Shahin Rasad erupted in a coughing fit. He stared at the two women with wavering eyes.
“What are you suddenly saying?”
“Don’t you approve?”
“Before that, it’s far too abrupt!”
Sasha Babel flared up in anger. Only then did Shahin Rasad relax.
“But if it’s for the family’s sake, I’ll comply.”
He had just relaxed when Sasha Babel’s next words made him panic again.
“You’re looking for superior bloodline in case the family head is absent, aren’t you?”
“Sasha, you’re fine in every other way. The problem is you read too much into my words. I was simply asking because he seemed like a decent man.”
Alia Dabi burst into laughter. Then, quite suddenly, she rose from her seat.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“I want to get closer and take a better look.”
“Wait, what do you mean you’re going to—hold on just a moment!”
Before Sasha Babel could stop her, Alia Dabi had already begun walking toward Kwon Han-ul.

* * *

At some point, my gaze had become fixed on something.
Mei Hong asked with a puzzled expression.
“What are you staring at so intently?”
“Ah, I was looking at that woman.”
I pointed toward Alia Dabi. Mei Hong examined her for a moment before asking.
“Is that your type of face?”
“Pardon?”
“She has a different style from Ha-yeon noona… Ha-yeon noona would be upset if she found out.”
“That’s not it…”
I was so bewildered that words failed me.
That wasn’t why I had been staring at Alia Dabi.
“Don’t you sense something odd?”
It was because of the inexplicable sense of foreboding I felt emanating from her.
Though she was quiet now, she seemed like a bomb that would obliterate everything if ignited.
“I’m not sure?”
Yet Mei Hong merely shook her head. I was confused. Had I perhaps misread something?
“Huh? She’s walking toward us?”
At that moment, Mei Hong spoke in surprise. Just as she said, Alia Dabi was approaching me.
“Hello.”
Alia Dabi gave a slight bow.
“You’re Kwon Han-ul, aren’t you? I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Alia Dabi extended her hand for a handshake. I couldn’t simply take it. The sense of foreboding I felt from her had grown even stronger.
It felt like crossing a thousand-foot cliff on a rickety bridge. One misstep and I would plummet into the abyss below.
“Why do you hesitate?”
Alia Dabi tilted her head. I gritted my teeth and took her hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
In that instant, a message appeared.

—————

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

—————