Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 21
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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 21】
Chapter 21: Bloodline Resolves (4)
Two days later, the long-awaited debut match arrived.
Kwon Han-ul was in the final stages of preparation to challenge the Platinum Dungeon.
“It’s complete.”
At Joo Ha-yeon’s words, Kwon Han-ul looked down at his body.
Armor of pitch-black radiance covered his entire frame. The cuirass, crafted from overlapping Imoogi scales, was unmistakably magnificent to any observer.
“Master Park Tae-sik asked me to convey his apologies for sending only the armor.”
“He mentioned being busy, didn’t he? There’s nothing to be done about that.”
There was no room for complaint. Even if there had been, the armor’s description would have dispelled any grievance entirely.
Young Dragon’s Molt
-Quality: Legendary (A+)
-Description: Armor forged from the heart and scales of an Imoogi as primary materials, blended with various rare metals.
-Abilities
1. Upon equipping, all stats increase by 20%.
2. Upon equipping, mana efficiency increases by 20%.
3. The power of all impact-based attacks increases by 20%.
4. Absorbs up to 20% of external attacks.
5. Automatically forms an energy barrier by absorbing surrounding mana.
True to its A+ Legendary grade, the armor possessed five distinct abilities.
It was exactly the equipment Kwon Han-ul had desired.
“According to the master craftsman, he focused entirely on mobility. Would you like to test the movement?”
Kwon Han-ul executed several motions. Whether raising both arms high and swinging them side to side, or extending one leg upward in a full stretch, the armor imposed no restriction whatsoever.
Moreover, the weight was barely perceptible—it felt as though he wore nothing more than a thin garment.
“Truly remarkable.”
“A+ Legendary equipment is difficult to find even within Heukcheon.”
To obtain such an item from the very beginning was undeniably a stroke of great fortune.
“Now all that remains is to conquer the Dungeon.”
Kwon Han-ul swung his fists through the air with enthusiasm. Joo Ha-yeon’s expression remained clouded with worry.
“Why do you look so troubled?”
“I fear my words may have led you into danger.”
Kwon Han-ul’s face showed confusion before recollection dawned upon him.
“You mean when you told me to challenge the pinnacle of Heukcheon?”
“You remember.”
“Don’t worry about that. You may have suggested it, but I made the choice myself. So please, don’t burden yourself with guilt. And…”
Kwon Han-ul paused for a moment, glancing once more at the armor before continuing.
“Even if you hadn’t said anything, Joo Ha-yeon, I would have acted this way eventually.”
This wasn’t a prediction. It was certainty.
“I was incredibly frustrated too.”
Raised as an orphan, Kwon Han-ul had always been an outsider to society. Integration was difficult, but rejection came easily.
Even after learning the secret of his birth and joining the Hukcheon Estate, his circumstances remained unchanged.
“Truly, it was suffocatingly frustrating.”
Suddenly, when I came to my senses, Joo Ha-yeon was standing right beside me. When I lowered my gaze, I saw her holding my hand.
Without realizing it, I had clenched my fist with all my strength.
“You’ll be entering the Dungeon soon. You shouldn’t abuse your body like this.”
Kwon Han-ul relaxed his grip and shook his hand lightly.
“Let’s head out now.”
Kwon Han-ul stepped out of the Container. A short distance away, the gate to the Platinum Dungeon hovered in the air.
A feeling that mixed anticipation and tension in equal measure, I suppose.
I stood before the gate. Before entering, I turned to look back.
There stood Joo Ha-yeon, holding a towel and a water bottle.
“See you later.”
With those words, I threw myself into the gate.
* * *
Morning hours.
Kwon Chan-seong was heading to his grandfather Kwon Seon-woo’s office. It was because of Kwon Seon-woo’s order to come see him before lunch.
What on earth was he being summoned for?
With each step, my heart grew heavier. An awkward feeling crawled up my throat.
Kwon Seon-woo.
Chairman of the Heukcheon Group and patriarch of the Hukcheon Estate.
Every blood relative of Heukcheon feared and revered Kwon Seon-woo.
Kwon Chan-seong, of course, as well as his father Kwon Hyuk and his aunt Kwon Mi—none were exceptions.
“I’m coming in.”
I knocked lightly and opened the door. Kwon Seon-woo sat at a spacious office desk.
He was wrestling with a mountain of documents stacked before him. Without lifting his eyes from the papers, he tossed out a single remark.
“You’re here.”
In that instant, it felt as though a heavy weight had descended upon my shoulders. Kwon Chan-seong immediately bowed in greeting.
“I hope you’ve been well.”
Anyone who knew Kwon Chan-seong would have doubted their own eyes at this sight.
The confident and arrogant Kwon Chan-seong from before was nowhere to be found.
Now I stood as though balanced on a blade, even my breathing careful and measured.
“Sit.”
Only after Kwon Seon-woo’s command did I lower myself into the chair.
“Do you know why I called you here?”
“I’m not entirely certain.”
Kwon Chan-seong answered immediately. He’d witnessed several people suffer grave consequences for presuming to guess Kwon Seon-woo’s intentions without permission.
“Kwon Han-ul. I called you because of that bastard.”
Confusion flickered across Kwon Chan-seong’s face. The reason was entirely unexpected.
“It seems that boy pulled off quite the interesting scheme in the Platinum Dungeon he’s about to challenge.”
“My apologies.”
Kwon Chan-seong immediately bowed deeply.
He never imagined Kwon Seon-woo would concern himself with Kwon Han-ul to such an extent. His miscalculation was beyond measure.
“Don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of blaming you.”
Kwon Chan-seong felt relief wash over him internally.
“I’m simply asking. Whether that boy can safely complete his debut. Or whether he cannot.”
Kwon Chan-seong answered Kwon Seon-woo’s question immediately.
“My younger brother Han-ul will die today.”
Interest kindled in Kwon Seon-woo’s eyes.
“Why are you so certain?”
“Because I’ve arranged the board to ensure it happens.”
Kwon Chan-seong’s face brimmed with conviction. At his words, the Chairman laughed with genuine pleasure.
Kwon Chan-seong’s eyes widened. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen the Chairman smile like that.
“You impudent whelp.”
At those words, Kwon Chan-seong felt his throat tighten.
“Grandfather, my judgment is….”
“Yes, I understand you have confidence in your own discernment. But the ways of the world are unknowable to all. What succeeded yesterday may fail today.”
“Then do you believe my younger brother Han-ul can conquer the Dungeon, Chairman?”
“How would I know?”
Kwon Seon-woo spoke bluntly. His answer contradicted what he’d said moments before, leaving Kwon Chan-seong slightly bewildered.
“Did I not say it? The ways of the world are unknowable to all. However….”
After a brief pause, Kwon Seon-woo continued.
“My instinct tells me. That boy will return alive.”
* * *
Upon entering the Dungeon, the sight that greeted Kwon Han-ul’s eyes was a massive cavern so vast it evoked the image of a canyon.
The towering walls were densely covered with Karancula workers.
“For having devoured only two of that octopus’s legs, there seem to be far too many of them, don’t you think?”
At a glance, there were easily hundreds of thousands. Not only were they numerous, but they were also extraordinarily large.
Normally, Karancula workers were about the size of large dogs.
But the ones before my eyes were clearly as massive as tigers.
What was even more terrifying was that every single worker was radiating murderous intent toward Kwon Han-ul alone.
“Seems you’re quite hungry, aren’t you? Don’t just stand there watching—come and get devoured.”
The Karancula workers fell from the walls in unison. In an instant, my vision darkened.
At that moment, the Karancula creatures burst apart. The world brightened again as if swept clean by a broom.
Dragon Aura.
The Dragon Aura I had unleashed crushed the bodies of the Karancula creatures.
Kwon Chan-seong’s first miscalculation.
It was that Kwon Han-ul’s abilities far exceeded his expectations.
Dragon Aura surpasses Dragon Force. The Hybrid Body maximizes Dragon Aura’s efficiency. The Dragon Pearl in the heart further amplifies Dragon Aura’s power.
Mere workers could be eliminated simply by releasing Dragon Aura.
-Kiiiiiii!
The remaining Karancula workers rushed forward. Murderous intent blazed from my eyes.
【The True Black Dragon Bloodline awakens.】
【The Genius Blood offers guidance.】
The dragon’s instinct ignites the blood. The Genius Blood traced the precise pathway through my mind.
Wise Dragon Ascension Art Beginner Form
Forceful Strike Style Iron Ringing Hammer
With each punch I threw, the Karancula creatures vanished. Like erasing scribbles from a whiteboard with an eraser.
【Synchronization Rate 10 -】 12%>
My heart pounded more violently. I could directly feel all the blood in my body accelerating at an even steeper pace.
Mystic Dragon Ascension Art Beginner Form
Forceful Strike Style Splitting Bamboo
I raised my leg high and brought it crashing down with all my strength. The ground fractured like a spider’s web.
Immediately after, an explosion erupted. The Dragon Aura completely swept away the remaining Karancula workers.
“Huff….”
I steadied my ragged breathing. In that brief moment, the intense movement had consumed a considerable amount of stamina.
Stamina distribution during combat was crucial. Even knowing this, I had recklessly thrown myself forward.
Because.
【The Vitality Blood detects vigorous movement!】
【Stamina recovers rapidly!】
After taking three deep breaths—one, two, and finally three. I no longer felt any fatigue.
My entire body was brimming with vitality, just as it had been before the battle began.
That was when I heard the sound of wings from above. Looking up, I saw a swarm of Karancula hummingbirds gathering.
They all fired their spines at once. Elongated spines bombarded the spot where I stood.
Kwon Han-ul lifted his leg and drove it down with all his might. The remains of Carankula workers scattered across the ground flew into the air.
He swept them with his leg and hurled them forward. Fragments of carapace saturated with dragon essence rained down upon the Carankula hummingbirds.
Kwon Han-ul sent the debris flying in rapid succession. The Carankula hummingbirds scattered in all directions to evade the remains.
Soon he began to run. He scaled the wall and reached the height where the Carankula hummingbirds hovered. He kicked off from the wall and plunged into their midst.
Sage Dragon Ascension Art, Foundational Form
Consecutive Strike Method – Chaotic Whirlwind Strike
Kwon Han-ul’s hands blurred in a frenzy of motion. The Carankula hummingbirds were shredded to pieces.
The moment he landed lightly on the ground after confirming the hummingbirds were eliminated, massive creatures suddenly burst through the earth.
Carankula soldiers.
Monsters born solely for the purpose of eliminating intruders. Ordinarily, they were about the size of a mid-sized automobile.
But now they had grown to rival a low-rise building in scale.
Moreover, there appeared to be at least five of them.
“What the… these things could topple a low-rise building.”
They had swollen to several times their normal size.
“And they’ve got those strange pincers too.”
Beyond that, they were equipped with crab-like front legs designed for easy striking.
-Krrrrgh!
A Carankula soldier brought its front leg crashing down toward Kwon Han-ul. The movement was light and swift, like a bee’s stinger.
Yet the pressure it carried was no joke.
Kwon Han-ul concentrated dragon essence into both his hands. It looked as though black ink droplets had formed on his palms.
He burst forward, ignoring the Carankula soldier’s attack. Its front leg struck down at his torso.
In that instant, a black barrier materialized across his armor’s surface. The pincer could not pierce it and was repelled.
Kwon Chan-seong’s second miscalculation.
That was the fact that Kwon Han-ul’s equipment was far from ordinary.
In other words—”gear advantage.”
【’Flood Dragon Limbs’ resonates with ‘Young Dragon Molt’!】
【’Young Dragon Molt’ performance is enhanced!】
【Special function added to ‘Young Dragon Molt’!】
The dragon essence pooled in his hands grew darker and more concentrated. Kwon Han-ul drove his fist into the soldier’s chest.
Sage Dragon Ascension Art, Foundational Form
Crushing Strike Method – Iron Tolling Hammer
With the sound of a massive bell ringing, the soldier’s carapace shattered. The organs within were pulverized along with it.
A single blow brought the structure crashing down. Kwon Han-ul leaped into the air, treading upon the rubble.
-Krrgh!
The remaining soldier made a motion to strike Kwon Han-ul with its front leg. But he reached its jaw first.
Sage Dragon Ascension Art, Foundational Form
Crushing Strike Method – Bone-Breaking Kick
He twisted his waist and swept the soldier’s neck. His leg, wreathed in dragon essence, traced a semicircle. With a sickening crack, the soldier’s head flew off.
Kwon Han-ul did not stop there. He stepped onto the soldier’s shoulder and ascended. Then he stomped down with all his strength.
Sage Dragon Ascension Art, Foundational Form
Overwhelming Strike Form – Thousand Jin Hammer
The soldier’s body began crumbling from above. By the time Kwon Han-ul landed, only debris remained.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Kwon Han-ul surged forward, hurling himself toward the soldiers.
Each time Kwon Han-ul swung his fists and kicks infused with dragon-horse energy, dark streaks carved through the air. The soldiers’ bodies shattered into fragments.
Kwon Han-ul’s body came to an abrupt halt. No enemies remained before him. Turning around, he saw the ground blanketed with debris.
That’s it?
The moment he thought it tedious, the tunnel began to tremble. The world shook violently as if an earthquake had struck.
Massive monsters erupted from the earth, overturning the ground itself.
Their size was similar to the soldiers. But their appearance was entirely different.
They had limbs like humans, covered entirely by insectoid carapaces.
Tarantula Generals.
Monsters with bodies so durable that even concentrated military bombardment couldn’t pierce them.
They were a rare, special rank even among the Tarantulas.
“The beginner form won’t cut it here.”
The Sage Dragon Ascension Technique grew more powerful the higher the form’s rank.
The beginner form I’d been relying on couldn’t match a Tarantula General.
“Perfect timing.”
To properly wield the advanced form, one needed to master the beginner form to at least 10-star. Until then, only certain techniques were available.
I’d recently mastered the beginner form to 10-star.
The foundation to freely use the basic form had been established.
My stance shifted. My momentum grew fiercer.
-Kiirrruuuk!
The Tarantula General shrieked and attacked Kwon Han-ul.
【Synchronization Rate 12 -】 14%>
My body burst forward. I extended the fist held at my waist in a straight line.
Sage Dragon Ascension Technique – Basic Form
Collapse Strike Form – Spiral Wave
My tightly clenched fist struck the Tarantula General’s abdomen.
Dragon-horse energy penetrated into the Tarantula General’s interior. The energy spiraled, completely shattering the creature’s insides as it passed through.
With a deafening boom, the Tarantula General’s back exploded outward. A massive hole tore through the center of its body. The remaining shell collapsed to the side.
-Kiirrruuuk!
The remaining Tarantula General lunged forward, attempting to slash at Kwon Han-ul with its spine-covered claws.
I bent both knees and pressed my hands against the ground. In that same instant, I vanished.
Immediately after, the Tarantula General’s shins shattered. Its opposite knee bent backward. The carapace on its abdomen cracked. Both forearms were severed.
The Tarantula General belatedly sensed something amiss. But before it could flee, its head exploded into fragments.
Sage Dragon Ascension Technique – Basic Form
Instant Strike Form – Accelerating Fist
A fist strike that grows faster with each attack.
Kwon Han-ul appeared behind the Tarantula General. The creature collapsed forward.
“Whew.”
I could scarcely believe what I had accomplished. To fell even a unique specimen like General Karancula so effortlessly.
“Are there any left?”
Kwon Han-ul ventured deeper into the tunnel. There, a massive egg sac came into view—the mother Karancula, swollen with her brood.
-Kiiiirrrrgh!
The mother released a menacing cry. Yet every subordinate in the tunnel lay dead by my hand.
There was no reason to fear a queen left alone.
Kwon Han-ul approached the mother Karancula. I raised my hand high to deliver the final blow.
Just before striking, I hesitated.
If I killed the mother Karancula now, there would be no turning back.
I would truly have to race toward the apex of Heukcheon.
How much blood would stain my hands in that ascent? And how many formidable enemies would I face?
When my thoughts reached that point, a laugh escaped me.
“Heh heh, no—it should be others who fear me.”
Kwon Han-ul was neither mixed-blood, nor hot-blood, nor pure-blood—I was true-blood.
It was Kwon Han-ul, and no one else, who should be the object of fear.
“I will reach the apex of Heukcheon without fail.”
With an unbreakable resolve, I brought my hand down.
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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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