Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 16

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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 16】

Chapter 16: Bloodline Encounters (3)

“Brother?”
I wanted to examine the status window in greater detail, but Kwon Chan-seong’s call made that impossible.
I reluctantly closed the status window, leaving my curiosity about Kwon Han-ul unsatisfied.
After all, Bloodline was far too expansive an ability—reading the description alone wouldn’t reveal its true capabilities. I decided I’d uncover its secrets gradually over time.
“Why aren’t you following? Come on.”
Kwon Han-ul moved forward. Joo Ha-yeon followed suit.
Suddenly, I noticed something peculiar.
“You’re not stopping me?”
“While I confess this situation is far from ideal… I cannot dissolve a duel that has already been formally established, can I?”
Joo Ha-yeon exhaled softly.
“But you must win. Without fail.”
“Of course.”
Kwon Han-ul spoke as though it were obvious.

* * *

Kwon Chan-seong’s destination was the Outdoor Training Ground within the Kwon Family.
Unlike the Training Hall on the lower floor that Kwon Han-ul had used before, this space was considerably more expansive.
“If anyone looks like they’re about to get seriously hurt, I’ll step in immediately. Understood?”
Once Kwon Chan-seong stepped aside, Kwon Han-ul could finally face Lee Pil-seung directly.
‘Lee Pil-seung… I never thought I’d actually meet the man I’ve only heard rumors about.’
During my time working as a Hunter, I frequently heard the name Lee Pil-seung mentioned everywhere, even without actively seeking information.
Lee Pil-seung was that renowned and formidable—someone like me wouldn’t dare to even exchange words with him.
Not only was I now face-to-face with such a person, but I was about to exchange blows with him.
‘This won’t be easy.’
He possessed a Gift and had the combat prowess to have faced Eclipse, an SS-rank catastrophe monster.
Kwon Chan-seong wouldn’t have casually assigned me as his opponent otherwise.
But the same applied to me.
‘Ever since obtaining the True Black Dragon Bloodline, I’ve felt so many things.’
When facing someone, I could instinctively sense whether I could defeat them or not.
Such perceptions had begun manifesting themselves naturally.
“What are you doing, just standing there like a stone monument?”
The sharp tone of his voice pulled me from my thoughts.
“If you’re scared, I’ll make the first move.”
Lee Pil-seung clapped his hands together. Something about that gesture felt off to me.
“You won’t use a weapon?”
He’d supposedly “severed” Eclipse’s tentacles, so I naturally assumed he would use a blade.
“I’m not the type to use weapons. I use something else instead.”
Lee Pil-seung released his mana. The quantity was so vast it was hard to believe it came from someone so young.
It was an impressive sight, yet something felt strange to me.
‘Isn’t he just wasting mana?’
He wasn’t using a skill with the mana—he was simply releasing it. It was behavior I couldn’t comprehend.
But then I grasped the peculiarity.
‘…The mana isn’t dispersing?’
The released mana didn’t vanish; it remained exactly where it was. The area around Lee Pil-seung seemed to shimmer slightly from the mana density.
“Hah!”
Lee Pil-seung released a sharp breath. The mana scattered throughout the area gathered back toward him.
The mana converged on his surface, condensing and transforming into something different from mana itself.
Heat shimmer.
A heat shimmer so vivid it was clearly visible even in broad daylight began to rise.
As Lee Pil-seung clenched his fist, the shimmer coalesced into the shape of a sword.
The heat shimmer and the formless blade it created were stunningly beautiful, like scattered gem dust dancing through the air.
But watching it, I couldn’t help but tense up.
“Could that possibly be…?”

* * *

“Kwon Chan-seong always seems to be scheming something.”
Joo Ha-yeon suddenly spoke up. Her question was naturally directed at Kwon Chan-seong.
“Scheming? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“If you intend to play innocent… very well. But I must say this much: if Kwon Han-ul underestimates you, he will suffer greatly for it.”
At those words, Kwon Chan-seong burst into laughter.
“I have never once underestimated my younger brother.”
The Kwon Family’s current position exists because of the Black Dragon Bloodline.
The higher the purity, the stronger the Black Dragon Bloodline becomes—and at pure blood, it grants its wielder power comparable to that of a transcendent being.
“True blood is certainly formidable. No matter which master from Heukcheon’s history I brought forth, they would all fall short against my brother.”
The gap created by the Black Dragon Bloodline is absolute.
Most pure bloods deny this, but Kwon Chan-seong had long since accepted it.
Kwon Han-ul, with his true blood, will grow into a terrifying existence before long.
“But that is a matter for later. My brother still has many shortcomings at present.”
Even a dragon was once merely a serpent in a ravine. Kwon Han-ul was no different.
“But our new recruit is already complete. And look—he’s beginning now. Watch closely.”
Kwon Chan-seong pointed toward Lee Pil-seung.
In the distance, a shimmering heat haze rose from Lee Pil-seung’s entire body.
Joo Ha-yeon spoke with an expression of disbelief.
“An aura? That’s impossible. How could he manifest an aura at that age…?”
Even among high-ranking hunters, those who have mastered aura are rare.
Aura is not a skill but a technique that can only be acquired through experience and enlightenment.
“That is our new recruit’s Gift—’Natural Physique.'”
Kwon Chan-seong spoke with unmistakable pride.
“Our new recruit was born with all the talents related to mana—mana capacity, mana affinity, mana adaptability.”
The world contains many varieties of genius.
Geniuses of martial arts, geniuses of weaponry, geniuses of scholarship, and so on.
“Our new recruit, one might say, is a genius of mana itself.”

* * *

I never expected him to unleash his Aura like this…”
A power that could only be obtained through endless refinement and purification of mana.
Lee Pil-seung had already mastered this force—something only the rarest of hunters ever achieved.
“Hah!”
Lee Pil-seung lunged forward. No—he was launched.
His Aura transformed his body into a bullet.
Kwon Han-ul instinctively arched his spine backward. In that instant, light carved through the air.
The Aura blade, swung in a straight line, carved through the space where his head had been.
“Your reflexes are quite sharp!”
Lee Pil-seung unleashed a barrage of Aura strikes. By the time I thought he was swinging, lines were already etched across the void.
Aura was sharp enough to slice through a monster’s tough hide like tofu. My body would be cleaved like water.
I couldn’t afford a single moment of carelessness. Not one lapse in focus.
‘The attacks themselves are straightforward.’
Despite the mortal danger, my mind remained eerily calm.
‘Is it the Black Dragon Blood?’
My inner state had transformed as my synchronization rate climbed. Fear of bodily destruction was drowned out by an intoxicating surge of combat euphoria.
“Hah!”
Lee Pil-seung brought his Aura crashing down with full force. In that instant, instinct screamed a warning.
I kicked hard against the ground and retreated. Immediately after, the earth where I’d stood shattered as if struck by a sledgehammer.
‘He transformed the Aura into a hammer?’
In the moment of descent, Lee Pil-seung had reshaped his Aura into a massive, crushing weight. I’d nearly been pulverized.
“You dodged that?”
Lee Pil-seung spoke with genuine surprise.
“Then how about this?”
Lee Pil-seung hurled his Aura forward.
The distance between us now exceeded ten meters from my retreat.
It was a gap that should have been unreachable without physically throwing the Aura itself.
Yet I instinctively twisted my torso sideways. The Aura, stretched spear-like and elongated, grazed past my abdomen.
‘He wields Aura with such freedom at that age?’
From what I understood, Aura was difficult to master and even harder to control.
To use it with such fluidity required countless hours of experience.
It should have been impossible at Lee Pil-seung’s age.
‘So it’s a Gift after all.’
Among the rumors about Lee Pil-seung was that he was a mana genius.
I hadn’t understood what that meant then. Now I did.
“Your instincts are sharp!”
Lee Pil-seung swung his Aura again. It extended like a whip, targeting me.
With each swing, the ground cracked and split. If I allowed even one strike to land, it wouldn’t be the earth—it would be me torn asunder.
‘This is troublesome.’
Lee Pil-seung, wielding his Aura, was terrifyingly formidable.
Aura surpassed mana in every way. After all, I’d essentially swapped out my fuel source.
‘Moreover, because it was aura, I couldn’t carelessly lay hands on it.’
Aura wasn’t merely a sharp blade. It was a concentrated mass of mana itself.
Anyone other than the user who touched it would suffer injury from that contact alone.
‘To think I judged myself capable of defeating such an opponent… Can I really trust this Black Dragon Bloodline?’
I was just grumbling pointlessly.
【The Genius Bloodline offers guidance.】
【The criminal realizes what cannot be known.】
All manner of knowledge flooded into Kwon Han-ul’s mind.
‘Wait…?’
The knowledge sparked endless chemical reactions within his consciousness. In that instant, Kwon Han-ul understood.
‘…Why have I only ever used mana in this crude manner?’
Until now, Kwon Han-ul had devoted his mana solely to channeling the Soaring Dragon Ascension Technique.
But mana was never meant to be confined in such a way.
‘Mana is water. My body is the vessel that holds it. Water serves no purpose when it merely stagnates. It must flow endlessly, constantly transforming.’
A trivial epiphany.
Yet the results it brought were staggering.
【You have obtained an ‘Epiphany’.】
【The achievement level of Soaring Dragon Ascension Technique Beginner Form increases from 5-star to 6-star.】
【You have acquired Basic Mana Manipulation.】
Mana began flowing throughout Kwon Han-ul’s entire body. Power infused his movements. His actions naturally accelerated.
Where I had been driven back by his slash before, now I evaded half a step ahead.
“Huh?”
A flicker of bewilderment crossed Lee Pil-seung’s face.
“You… surely you haven’t grasped mana manipulation?”
True to his reputation as a mana genius, Lee Pil-seung immediately sensed the shift in Kwon Han-ul.
Most hunters perceived mana merely as fuel for activating skills.
But veteran hunters who had mastered mana manipulation recognized it as a force itself, wielding it in countless ways.
“H-how is this possible!”
Mana manipulation was an essential prerequisite for mastering aura, a technique obtainable only through years of accumulated experience.
To suddenly acquire it mid-combat was nothing short of astounding.
Yet at this moment, Lee Pil-seung’s reaction barely registered in Kwon Han-ul’s awareness.
‘No. This manipulation method doesn’t suit me at all.’
Kwon Han-ul immediately modified his mana manipulation.
Altering one’s mana manipulation was a dangerous and difficult act that even veteran hunters rarely attempted.
Yet the Genius Bloodline continuously breathed inspiration and knowledge into Kwon Han-ul.
【You have discovered mana manipulation optimized for your own body.】
【You have acquired ‘Kwon Han-ul’s Mana Pathway’.】
Kwon Han-ul’s Mana Pathway
-Quality: Unique (S)
-Skill activation speed / Mana regeneration speed / Mana control speed all increased by 20%.
Mana surged throughout Kwon Han-ul’s entire body. An endless vitality began to spring forth.
Simultaneously, mana gathered in Kwon Han-ul’s hands. It took the form of a water droplet suspended in air.
Seeing this, Lee Pil-seung cried out.
“Wh-what on earth!”
It wasn’t an aura. But it was on the verge of becoming one.
A man who had been a third-rate hunter just three months ago had reached the threshold of an aura?
“This is absurd!”
Lee Pil-seung roared and conjured another aura blade.
He crossed both arms and unleashed his attack.
Twin Sword
CrosGrave
Unique Skill: Cross Grave.
The X-shaped slash that erupted cleanly bisected Kwon Han-ul’s chest.
Mysterious Dragon Ascension Art – Introductory Form
Side Guard Technique – Deflecting Wedge
Kwon Han-ul thrust both hands forward in unison. The X-shaped slash split apart like a stream of water.
Faced with this incredible sight, Lee Pil-seung froze with both arms still raised. In that moment, his front was completely exposed.
Seizing the opening, Kwon Han-ul pushed off the ground. His elbow extended in a straight line, piercing directly through Lee Pil-seung’s solar plexus.
Mysterious Dragon Ascension Art – Introductory Form
Powerful Strike Technique – Charging Horn
His elbow struck Lee Pil-seung’s solar plexus. Mana erupted, sending Lee Pil-seung’s body flying backward.
An overwhelmingly decisive victory.
Kwon Han-ul slowly withdrew his extended stance.
“Phew.”
Though I maintained a composed exterior, my heart surged with emotion.
I, a former third-rate hunter, had defeated Lee Pil-seung, a rising star.
That fact filled me with indescribable joy.
“Black Dragon Blood—this power is truly reliable.”
It was as I thought this.
An ominous aura emanated from Lee Pil-seung, who had been sent flying into the distance.

* * *

“Didn’t I tell you?”
Joo Ha-yeon spoke as she watched Lee Pil-seung fly backward.
“I warned you not to underestimate Kwon Han-ul.”
“It’s not over yet.”
Kwon Chan-seong clenched his jaw, his eyes fixed on Lee Pil-seung.
“The newcomer still has a hidden technique up his sleeve.”
Hidden technique? That was when Joo Ha-yeon had the thought.
Above the Sparring Arena, a ferocious aura erupted from Lee Pil-seung.
Having spent years at the Heukcheon Estate, Joo Ha-yeon recognized it immediately.
“…How is an outsider using Dragon Combat Art?”
A power granted only to those who possessed the Black Dragon Bloodline.
Lee Pil-seung was wielding Dragon Combat Art.
“I told you. That bastard is a genius with mana. He watched my Dragon Combat Art every day and eventually mimicked it.”
Kwon Chan-seong spoke with satisfaction.
“I’ll stake my reputation as a pure-blooded member—Lee Pil-seung’s Dragon Combat Art surpasses even Kwon Woo-jin’s.”

* * *

A ferocious aura like facing a monster itself.
“Dragon Combat Art?”
The aura Lee Pil-seung was unleashing was unmistakably Dragon Combat Art.
I’d often heard that Gifts were divine blessings. But to think he could even mimic the powers of the Black Dragon Bloodline.
“This isn’t… over yet.”
Lee Pil-seung spat on the ground. Blood mixed with his saliva—his internal organs were damaged.
“From here on, it won’t be easy. Though you probably know that better than anyone.”
Lee Pil-seung burst forward. His feet struck the earth with a thunderous impact.
The dozens of meters between us closed in an instant. Lee Pil-seung, now within arm’s reach, swung a blade forged from Dragon Combat Art.
Kwon Han-ul twisted his body to evade the slash. The blade struck the ground and Dragon Combat Art detonated.
The explosive force from the detonation sent both Kwon Han-ul and the earth itself flying.
‘Dragon Combat Art is this powerful?’
When facing Kwon Woo-jin, the match ended so quickly I only caught glimpses of Dragon Combat Art.
But now, confronting it directly, the technique sent shivers down my spine.
“How long will you keep running!”
With each swing of Lee Pil-seung’s blade, Kwon Han-ul was tossed about helplessly.
At the sight of this, Lee Pil-seung burst into laughter.
“So this is all a True Blood member amounts to!”
Grind.
My teeth clenched. Fury surged through my body from the base of my skull.
【Synchronization Rate 9% → 10%】
【Synchronization Rate has reached a multiple of 10.】
【Opening the bloodline ability.】
Deep within my body.
Something began to surge forth from that place.

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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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