Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 174

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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 174】

174. Time (4)

I was about to step into the Operating Room when it happened.
“Stop.”
A voice came from behind—so exhausted it sounded as though breath might fail at any moment.
Yet the instant Odin heard that voice, he froze in place as though turned to ice.
Odin turned around, his face coldly hardened. Kwon Mi stood before the staircase descending into the Operating Room, leaning against the wall for support.
“Strange.”
Odin stared at Kwon Mi and spoke.
“With so many curses poured into you… you should be dead by now. Yet you’ve regained consciousness?”
“That place ahead… it’s not somewhere a filthy creature like you should enter.”
Kwon Mi forced out each syllable with tremendous effort. Anyone could see she was pushing herself beyond her limits.
“Wow, stubborn to the very end. Just like all you Heukcheon bastards—utterly despicable.”
Odin continued speaking with a look of disgust.
“Listen here, if you keep acting so insolent, I’ll tear you apart with my own hands and kill you. Understand?”
Odin gestured dismissively. His attitude made it clear he had already dismissed Kwon Mi entirely.
It was inevitable. The curse tormenting Kwon Mi was no ordinary curse.
It was a curse that Aion and he had researched extensively over a long time to counter the Black Dragon Bloodline that Heukcheon possessed.
Before the curse named 【The Serpent That Kills Bloodlines】, even the Family Head of Babel had been reduced to an ordinary human.
“If you understand, then shut your mouth. I have no interest in your life….”
Kwon Mi drew in a deep breath, then exhaled. In that instant, a ferocious aura exploded outward. The moment Odin saw it, his face turned deathly cold.
“What is this….”
It was such tremendous power that even Odin lost his words. This was not a force that Kwon Mi, afflicted by the curse, should have been able to muster.
It was impossible.
【The Serpent That Kills Bloodlines】 was called a curse, but in reality it was closer to a living entity. Overcoming it should have been impossible.
“Could it be?”
A hypothesis formed in Odin’s mind.
“You’re going to kill me while you still have strength left?”
The curse was devouring Kwon Mi’s power in real time. But it had not yet stripped away all of it.
Kwon Mi had wrung out every last drop of her remaining strength and unleashed it in a rampage.
Theoretically, it was possible.
But Odin had never believed such a thing could actually be done.
The process of having one’s power drained by a curse was extraordinarily agonizing. Using magical power accelerated that process and intensified the suffering.
Combined with physical torment came spiritual agony as well—something that could never be overcome.
“This monstrous woman…?”
Odin gasped in shock and summoned a mass of curse. An enormous volume of cursed matter wrapped around Odin’s body.
The composure and laughter I’d displayed earlier had vanished without a trace. Kwon Mi was a dangerous opponent indeed.
If not for the curse, I would never have dared to engage her in combat.
“Haah!”
Kwon Mi attacked with a cry, swinging her fists imbued with Dragon Combat Technique wildly.
I responded with a curse barrier. But the curse barrier shattered far too easily against her relentless fists.
“Ha!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Beyond the 【Snake That Kills Bloodlines】, countless other curses were gnawing away at her body.
Yet she still possessed such destructive power.
“This is exactly why I hate the Heukcheon Bloodline!”
I roared and unleashed the curse. We collided relentlessly.
But the outcome of the fight came far more easily than expected.
With each exchange, Kwon Mi’s momentum visibly weakened.
The 【Snake That Kills Bloodlines】 was accelerating faster and faster.
“What’s wrong? You came at me so fiercely just moments ago!”
I laughed carelessly as I pressed her back.
I was driving back a Hunter far superior to myself.
Could there be any greater joy than this?
“Why? Why are you risking your life to this extent? For that damned Heukcheon pride? Or is it personal vanity?”
Kwon Mi didn’t answer. She couldn’t afford to waste the energy.
“Or is it for Kwon Han-ul?”
Her pupils wavered for a moment. I didn’t miss that subtle shift.
“Hahahah! How surprising! So you care for Kwon Han-ul that much!”
Kwon Mi clenched her teeth. She drove her body forward, desperate to land a fatal blow on me.
“Surely you haven’t forgotten? Kwon Han-ul is your son’s rival! With him alive, the probability of your son claiming the Heukcheon throne only decreases! And yet you’d protect him?”
There was no way to win like this.
Kwon Mi condensed all her remaining Dragon Combat Technique into a single point. She was going to drive it straight through.
“Did you miss your dead brother that much?”
But the moment my words reached her ears, she lost her composure. In that instant, she lost control of her technique.
The Dragon Combat Technique unraveled. Seizing the opening, I shaped the curse mass into a spear and pierced through her chest.
“Cough.”
Kwon Mi collapsed, blood pouring from her wound. I looked down at her with a sneer.
“Foolish woman.”

* * *

Odin collected every last fragment of the curse.
And now, at last, he stepped into the Operating Room itself.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
A youthful-looking woman bowed deeply to Odin.
Her remarkably respectful demeanor brought a satisfied expression to his face.
“You know your manners. That’s right—you’re Takamine Ryoko, aren’t you?”
“I never expected a delegate of Pandemonium to know my name.”
Takamine Ryoko spoke with composure.
It wasn’t an act—she genuinely felt no fear.
Odin found himself intrigued by her demeanor.
“Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“I am afraid.”
“Then why are you so calm? It’s almost irritating.”
“I reasoned that meeting you with my best efforts would give me a higher survival rate than screaming in terror.”
“Hmm?”
Odin’s expression brightened with admiration. It was a response that pleased him considerably.
“You have a talent for reading people.”
Some people possessed such a gift—an uncanny ability to discern the nature of others.
“Since you’ve conducted yourself well, I’ll reward you. You’ll walk out of here with all your limbs intact.”
Odin stepped aside slightly, a clear signal to leave quickly.
“Thank you. However, before I depart, I would like to offer you one piece of advice.”
“Advice?”
“Yes, if you would permit me to do so.”
“Permission… Very well. Speak.”
Takamine Ryoko expressed her gratitude and pointed toward the glass window.
Beyond the glass lay the stone coffin containing Kwon Han-ul.
“Your objective is Kwon Han-ul, is it not? However, if he leaves the stone coffin now, he will lose his life.”
Takamine Ryoko paused to collect herself before continuing.
“You may think I’m scheming something. But if you knew what medication he consumed before the procedure began…”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Takamine Ryoko’s words halted. Her face showed incomprehension as she asked.
“Pardon?”
“It doesn’t matter. Whether Kwon Han-ul lives or dies.”
Odin spoke with indifference.
“What I want isn’t Kwon Han-ul himself. It’s something inside his body. In fact, it would be more convenient if he died. I’d just take the object from his corpse and leave.”
“But if you do that, the Hukcheon Estate won’t take it lying down.”
Odin’s expression darkened slightly. Irritation rose within him, though not beyond his control.
“That’s not something for you to worry about.”
“My apologies.”
“Watch your tongue. If you keep it up, I might just kill you. You wouldn’t want to watch your own body decay while you’re still alive, would you?”
Takamine Ryoko hastily bowed in apology. Her servile demeanor lifted Odin’s spirits once more.
“Then go on and leave. Don’t concern yourself with what happens next.”
“Are you planning to enter that chamber now?”
Odin felt irritation flare again. He couldn’t fathom why she lingered when he’d told her to disappear.
“Inside there are numerous electronic devices intricately connected. If you carelessly touch anything, a short circuit could occur and cause an explosion….”
Odin studied Takamine Ryoko silently, then his gaze drifted to the monitor behind her.
Her body had obscured it cleverly, so he had to shift aside to see the screen clearly.
“Remaining time… 50 minutes?”
Odin’s hand shot out reflexively, seizing Takamine Ryoko by the throat and lifting her. Choking sounds escaped her.
“You cunning bitch—you dare pull such a pathetic trick?”
“Gasp!”
“Were you really planning to stall until the procedure finished? Unbelievable. I’ve never seen such madness.”
Odin hurled Takamine Ryoko away. She crashed to the ground, her shoulder striking first.
“Your life means nothing to you, does it?”
“A doctor… doesn’t abandon… their patient… and flee.”
Takamine Ryoko spoke between coughs. Odin let out a hollow laugh.
“Don’t expect a gentle death. I’ll hand you over to the most depraved pervert among those I brought.”
Odin turned to leave, ignoring Takamine Ryoko. She cried out desperately.
“Stop!”
Odin flicked his finger. A curse erupted from the shadows, hurtling toward Takamine Ryoko.
The moment the curse touched her, her body began to collapse. Her skin blackened and rotted.
Yet even as death claimed her, Takamine Ryoko’s eyes never left Odin. They held not fear, but only regret.
“At last, I meet you.”
Before the door leading to the stone coffin, Odin spoke with profound emotion.
When I lost the vessel, how despairingly I suffered.
To hold the key that could unlock the world’s secrets, then lose it again—that sense of loss was incomparably terrible, beyond any comparison.
But that torment ends now. The vessel has returned to my hands.
Odin grasped the door with both hands and wrenched it open with all his strength. He’d applied so much force that the door tore from its hinges. He carelessly hurled the torn door aside and stepped in.
“Wh… what?”
And in that instant, he froze in shock.
The stone coffin, which had been sealed shut until moments before, now lay wide open.
Beside it stood Kwon Han-ul, his back exposed, towering upright.

* * *

Lee Da-hae was dragged into the interrogation room, held captive by Heukcheon’s hunters.
Blood stains caked thickly across the floor.
Strange equipment whose purpose remained unknown.
As Lee Da-hae surveyed her surroundings with eyes full of dread, the door creaked open.
Someone walked in.
-It’s been a while.
It was Kwon Hyuk.
Lee Da-hae stared at him in shock. Her expression screamed: what are you doing here?
-I volunteered to be the investigator for this treason case.
Kwon Hyuk spoke first, as if reading her unspoken question.
-What is all this about? Kwon Cheon committed treason?
-Three days ago, the Chairman went on a business trip abroad. The hotel where he was staying came under attack by terrorists.
Lee Da-hae’s brow furrowed. Surely not?
-Of course, the Chairman is safe. The terrorists never even laid eyes on him—they were all captured. One of them claimed that Kwon Cheon orchestrated the whole thing.
-That’s a lie!
Lee Da-hae cried out without hesitation.
-Kwon Cheon would never do such a thing! You know how much he respects the Chairman! It’s impossible!
She spoke desperately, her voice trembling as she addressed Kwon Hyuk.
-Please investigate again! Those terrorists are lying!
-I know.
Kwon Hyuk dropped the words flatly. Lee Da-hae’s voice caught in her throat.
-…What?
-Cheon is innocent. I know that much.
-Then why did you…?
-Why do you think I brought you in?
Kwon Hyuk leaned back in his chair, a smirk spreading across his face.
-You have no idea how furious the Chairman is over this. Anyone would be. When you’re bitten by a beloved pet, you lose your temper, don’t you?
Something was wrong.
Lee Da-hae sensed it instinctively.
-I thought that even a rational man, when that angry, would kill Cheon without hesitation. But contrary to my expectations, he’s hesitating.
Kwon Hyuk’s words, his demeanor, this entire atmosphere—something was deeply amiss.
-It’s not a situation I particularly welcome. What’s fortunate is that I prepared contingencies in advance, anticipating something like this might happen.
-Kwon Hyuk… what are you saying?
-You’re Cheon’s lover.
Lee Da-hae felt her blood turn to ice.
That secret she had desperately hidden, the one she couldn’t let anyone else know—it had just come from Kwon Hyuk’s mouth.
-I don’t know why he’d associate with a lowborn woman of unknown origins like you… but well, it works out nicely for me.
Kwon Hyuk approached Lee Da-hae and tapped her shoulder lightly.
-A man loses his mind when his woman is in danger. Given Cheon’s temperament, even more so.
Lee Da-hae felt dizzy. Her stomach churned violently.
“Right now, you’re under suspicion of treason. What do you think would happen if Cheon were to cause a disturbance trying to save you?”
Lee Da-hae’s gaze fixed on Kwon Cheon. Receiving that stare, Kwon Hyuk let out a low chuckle.
“No matter how composed the Chairman is, this would be difficult for him to endure.”
Lee Da-hae stared at Kwon Cheon with a hardened expression.
“Why… exactly why are you doing this…?”
“A question I’d rather not answer. You just sit here quietly and keep your mouth shut.”
That was when it happened.
The interrogation room door opened again, and another man entered.
The moment Lee Da-hae saw his face, her body went rigid. Intense terror seized her.
“Da-hae!”
The Sorcerer of Aion.
The man who had implanted a vessel in her and attempted those bizarre experiments—he stood before her now.
“Finally, I found you!”
The Sorcerer rushed toward Lee Da-hae and grasped her hand. But unlike him, she felt no joy whatsoever.
“Y-you… why are you here…?”
“Why would I be here? Because of you, of course.”
The Sorcerer grinned widely.
“Aion’s power alone couldn’t bring you back. So I decided to join hands with this man.”
As he spoke, the Sorcerer glanced back at Kwon Hyuk. Kwon Hyuk yawned, utterly indifferent.
“Aion is helping Kwon Hyuk, and in return, he promised to return you to us!”

* * *

In the darkness, I opened my eyes.
The first thing that caught my sight was an iron cage forged from black steel.
A prison built on the outskirts of the Heukcheon Estate.
It was constructed to confine members of the Heukcheon Bloodline, who were several times stronger than ordinary hunters. It was correspondingly fortified, with security measures that were equally thorough.
—…I wonder if Da-hae is alright.
I muttered with a worried expression. Part of me wanted to rush out immediately, but I couldn’t.
The shackles and chains binding my limbs prevented it.
The chains hanging from the ceiling held both my arms suspended in mid-air.
These weren’t ordinary chains—they were forged from melted relics, which meant even I couldn’t break them.
Then, the door leading to the prison opened. Bright light briefly illuminated the cell.
Someone walked toward the iron cage.
—Hey, your brother’s here.
Bae Chul-soo stood outside the iron bars, looking at me.
I asked with a surprised expression.
—How did you get in here…?
—Hey, I’m still the heir of the Bae family, aren’t I? I traded on the family name a bit.
Bae Chul-soo spoke as though it were nothing. But I knew better.
The Cheongsong Bae Family was nominally an allied clan with Heukcheon, but in reality, they were subordinate to them.
No matter that Bae Chul-soo was the heir, what he was doing now was incredibly dangerous.
After all, I was imprisoned for treason.
—I thought you might be hungry, so I brought some food…
Bae Chul-soo frowned as he looked at the chains binding both my arms.
—This won’t work because of the chains.
Bae Chul-soo dropped heavily to the prison floor. He let out a deep sigh before speaking to me.
—What on earth is all this? You as the mastermind of a terrorist attack?
—It wasn’t me.
Bae Chul-soo nodded at my words.
—I know, man. I know you’re not that kind of person.
I felt my nose sting. In a situation like this, having someone who believed in me so firmly was incredibly moving.
—But the situation isn’t good. Setting aside the terrorists’ confessions, the evidence left at their hideout all points to you.
This terror attack wasn’t hastily planned. It had been prepared for a long time. Accordingly, there was substantial evidence implicating me.
—The Chairman is very angry too. He hasn’t issued an order to kill you yet, but…
Bae Chul-soo spoke with a dark expression. Looking at him, I smiled.
—Hey, you can smile in a situation like this?
—What else can I do? Crying won’t help, right?
—Sigh, if only you couldn’t talk…
Bae Chul-soo let out a deep sigh.
—Still, don’t think too bleakly about this. It seems the Chairman is planning to expand the scale of the investigation team. He’s going to properly investigate this matter.
If that were the case, my charges might be cleared.
After all, I was innocent.
—Then your false charges might be cleared too. Well, I’ll be going now.
Bae Chul-soo turned to leave the prison. Then something occurred to him, and he spoke.
—Oh, that’s right.
—What is it?
—There’s Lee Da-hae. We brought that girl into this investigation team.
Had he stopped there, I wouldn’t have worried.
But what came next was the problem.
—But the investigator assigned to interrogate Lee Da-hae is Kwon Hyuk.
In that instant, my face went rigid.
The words Kwon Hyuk had spoken just before I was arrested for treason came flooding back.
【Cheon-ah, don’t worry. If you’re innocent, there won’t be any problems.】
【Oh, but you know. What was the name of that maidservant you had? Was it Lee Da-hae?】
【I hope that girl doesn’t have any problems.】
【There are rumors everywhere that Aeon’s sorcerers are on the move.】
I clenched both fists. In that brief moment, I deliberated endlessly.
And I reached a conclusion.
—Brother, I need your help.
—Huh? With what?
—I need to get out of this prison.
At those words, Bae Chul-soo’s eyes went wide.
—Are you insane? Escape? You’re talking about escape? If you get caught, that’s when you really die!
—I know.
—And you’re asking for my help? If I help you, what happens to our family? What about the Cheongsong Bae Family!
Bae Chul-soo’s anger flared. The situation left him no choice.
—Just stay quiet here and wait! The Chairman is a careful man! He’s not someone who’d kill you in a fit of emotion. He’ll investigate this matter thoroughly, and then….
—I don’t know what might happen to Da-hae in the meantime.
—Forget about her. There are so many women in this world! You’re going to throw away your entire life for one woman?
—Da-hae is pregnant.
Bae Chul-soo could only close his mouth. With trembling eyes, he asked me.
—…What are you saying? You’re lying, aren’t you?
I said nothing. At that action, Bae Chul-soo grabbed the iron bars and shouted.
—You really have lost your mind! Bewitched by some woman… obsessed with a woman of unknown origins…!
—You’re the only one who can help me.
—Don’t talk nonsense! Why would I….
Bae Chul-soo wiped his face with his hand. He ground his teeth.
—Damn it… this debt is going to be expensive.
At those words, I laughed weakly and spoke.
—I’m sorry.

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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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