Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 50
—————
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 50】
Chapter 50: The Final Authority (2)
“I’m so relieved you’re safe!”
The moment Catalina Blaga saw Kwon Han-ul, her face lit up with joy.
“I’m truly sorry about all this. I was afraid of losing the bet, so I sent my bloodline to help Ruin. I never imagined it would spiral into such chaos and drive him mad.”
Tears welled up in Catalina Blaga’s eyes.
“If anything had happened to Little Dragon, I would… I would…!”
Finally, tears streamed down her face. It was a sight that tugged at the heartstrings—the kind that made people say a woman’s tears were a weapon.
Yet Kwon Han-ul merely stared at her with a cold expression.
“The Witch of Heukcheon arrived just in time. You held your own against Ruin quite well.”
At those words, Kwon Han-ul and Joo Ha-yeon exchanged glances, their eyes asking what that was supposed to mean.
As the atmosphere grew peculiar, Catalina Blaga felt a twinge of confusion herself.
“Catalina Blaga, when I entered, Ruin Aspadam was already dead.”
At Joo Ha-yeon’s words, bewilderment spread across Catalina Blaga’s face.
“Already dead? Then… surely you don’t mean Little Dragon did it alone…?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Catalina Blaga’s eyes widened. She stared at Kwon Han-ul, rendered speechless.
“If you’re planning to brush this aside with a single word like ‘mistake,’ I’d advise against it.”
Kwon Han-ul’s voice cut through the air—sharp, edged with killing intent.
Nadia Blaga, the pureblooded bloodline he’d encountered in the dungeon, had told Kwon Han-ul something.
She had no intention of harming him; she’d only received orders to ensure victory in the bet.
As a pureblooded, she wouldn’t lie to a true-blooded like Kwon Han-ul. Yet he found it difficult to accept her words at face value.
Could someone of Catalina Blaga’s stature truly have been unaware her subordinate would rampage like this?
Even if she hadn’t known, the fact remained unchanged: the Blaga Family’s bloodline had attempted to kill a member of the Kwon Family’s bloodline.
“I intend to lodge a formal protest with the Blaga Family over this matter.”
“Hey, you’re getting too worked up.”
Kwon Ji-seok suddenly interjected.
“While you were in the dungeon, I had a conversation with Catalina Blaga. This was an accident for her too. One of the Blaga Family’s bloodline was also killed by Ruin Aspadam, I hear.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“One subordinate went mad and caused a commotion. It seems odd to escalate that into a matter between families.”
Kwon Han-ul stared at Kwon Ji-seok with an incredulous expression.
“A person from another family caused a disturbance in Heukcheon’s territory.”
“I know. But this is my operational zone.”
Kwon Ji-seok shrugged.
“It’s not being swept under the rug entirely. We’ve agreed on compensation.”
With Kwon Ji-seok taking this stance, Kwon Han-ul had nothing more to say. After all, Kwon Ji-seok was the one in charge here.
“As expected of Kwon Ji-seok. Thank you for understanding my situation.”
At that moment, Catalina Blaga slipped in with calculated subtlety.
In an instant, hostility flickered across Kwon Ji-seok’s eyes before vanishing.
For a moment, Kwon Han-ul doubted his own vision.
He’d thought Catalina Blaga had bewitched him into spouting nonsense again, but that wasn’t it.
“Well then, I should be on my way. Oh, Little Dragon.”
Catalina Blaga approached Kwon Han-ul.
“Separate from the compensation for the Kwon Family, I’ll send a gift as an apology.”
Catalina Blaga’s gaze lowered as she surveyed Kwon Han-ul’s body.
“It seems you could use some new clothes.”
At those words, Kwon Han-ul lowered his head to examine himself.
My dragon form was dented and mangled in countless places. The scales of an imoogi had proven woefully insufficient to withstand Ruin Aspadam’s assault.
“You can look forward to it.”
With that addition, Catalina Blaga brushed past Kwon Han-ul.
Before she’d fully turned away, Kwon Han-ul asked.
“Is Nadia Blaga unharmed?”
“Ah, she’s perfectly fine without a scratch. I’m truly grateful you saved Nadia.”
“Did she say anything particular?”
“Nothing at all. Why do you ask?”
Kwon Han-ul shook his head.
“It’s nothing.”
Catalina Blaga climbed into the car with a puzzled expression.
After she disappeared, Kwon Han-ul turned to face Kwon Ji-seok.
“We need to talk.”
“Ah, I’d like that too, but I need to clean up the Dungeon. With all this chaos, the Mud Trolls will have snapped to attention. Once I find the White Stone, I’ll send it to you right away, so don’t worry.”
With those words, Kwon Ji-seok fled in haste.
Kwon Han-ul clicked his tongue.
For some reason, my mouth tasted bitter.
* * *
The moment Kwon Ji-seok stepped into his private tent, his smartphone rang.
He answered the call in a panic.
“Hyung?”
-Yes, it’s me. Did you handle things as I instructed?
“I did.”
-Well done.
Even hearing his brother’s praise, Kwon Ji-seok felt no joy.
-I was worried that woman might harbor different intentions. But it went exactly as I predicted. Still, I have you to thank for getting through this smoothly.
Kwon Ji-seok clenched his fists. His voice trembled with rage.
“Hyung, what exactly are you trying to do?!”
-What do you mean, “what am I doing”?
“You’re handing Kwon Han-ul over to the Blaga Family by drawing in Catalina Blaga?! This is absolutely unacceptable!”
-Why is it unacceptable?
“How can you even say that? That bastard… Kwon Han-ul may be disagreeable, but he’s still one of our family! How could you possibly think of handing him over to an outsider?!”
-So?
Kwon Chan-seong’s voice remained unchanged. He spoke with the same tone and inflection.
-Is that all you have to say?
Kwon Ji-seok found himself at a loss for words.
-Kwon Han-ul is far too dangerous. We need to eliminate the threat before it grows. But since he’s under the Chairman’s protection, we can’t touch him easily. That’s why I joined hands with Catalina Blaga.
Kwon Chan-seong’s voice was remarkably composed. Kwon Ji-seok had never felt his own brother seem so unfamiliar to him.
-You haven’t forgotten, have you? He’s a pure-blooded descendant. Right now he’s overlooked because of his origins, but one day he’ll become stronger than anyone in our family.
Kwon Ji-seok listened silently to his brother’s words.
-By then it will be too late. Everyone in the family will look up to him. And that will threaten Father’s position.
“So you’re handing him over to another family instead? Does that even make sense? If we’re of the Heukcheon Bloodline, we should be thinking of surpassing him ourselves!”
-Nonsense.
Kwon Chan-seong’s voice turned sharp for the first time.
-Look at the mixed-bloods and lesser-bloods. No matter how exceptional they are, they’ve never surpassed pure-bloods. What makes you think we’re any different?
“But this isn’t the answer. Hyung, this really isn’t the answer.”
-So you’re saying you’d accept it?
Kwon Chan-seong’s voice turned sharp.
-If that bastard becomes stronger than you and achieves something worthy of it, you’d acknowledge him and step down beneath him, is that what you’re saying?
Silence stretched on—long, endless silence—before Kwon Ji-seok finally spoke.
“Yes, I would have to acknowledge it.”
-What did you just say?
“I said if Kwon Han-ul reaches that point, I would have to acknowledge him.”
-Pathetic. Do you know why Father turned away from you? It’s precisely because of this!”
Kwon Chan-seong’s voice exploded in fury.
-I don’t care what you think! But don’t you dare interfere with my plans!
Click. The call ended. Kwon Ji-seok lowered his smartphone weakly.
Then he exhaled deeply.
* * *
Catalina Blaga climbed into the van.
The vehicle, decorated to her exacting taste, boasted a spacious interior painted entirely in crimson red.
“Oh, you’ve arrived.”
Nadia Blaga was already inside the vehicle. Catalina Blaga took a seat beside her.
“K, are you there?”
-Yes, I am present.
A human voice emanated from the empty air.
“Feel free to use whatever resources the main family has. I’m asking you to handle the aftermath so that the Kwon Family doesn’t harbor any resentment.”
-Understood.
“You’re always so dependable, as expected.”
-You flatter me.
Catalina Blaga allowed herself a subtle smile.
“You seem to have many questions. Feel free to ask. I’m in an exceptionally good mood right now.”
-Why did you not proceed as agreed with Kwon Chan-seong?
Originally, Catalina Blaga had reached an agreement with Kwon Chan-seong to kidnap Kwon Han-ul today. Kwon Chan-seong had cooperated actively on that condition.
However, after arriving here, Catalina Blaga had not acted according to the plan she and Kwon Chan-seong had discussed.
“Because I couldn’t trust him.”
Catalina Blaga spoke as though it were obvious.
“I’m not well acquainted with that man, so I couldn’t simply place my faith in him, could I?”
K nodded. His mistress appeared careless, but she was meticulous in such matters.
“Kwon Chan-seong probably didn’t trust me either.”
Catalina Blaga continued, stifling a brief yawn.
“This time, I’m satisfied simply having confirmed that I can trust Kwon Chan-seong to some degree. The same applies to him.”
-I wish to ask one more question, if I may.
“Go ahead.”
-Then why did you use Ruin Aspadam as a sacrifice?
From K’s perspective, Ruin Aspadam was a rare talent. It seemed wasteful to use him merely as a vessel to test Kwon Han-ul’s abilities.
“You hold Ruin in quite high regard, K.”
-That is how he appeared to me.
“I don’t share that view.”
Catalina Blaga spoke with finality.
“Since taking him from the Lightning Sage, Ruin has stagnated. There was nothing more to expect from him.”
When selecting retainers, the quality Catalina Blaga valued most highly was growth potential.
Once a retainer reached the expected level of development, she would promote them to Cavaliers Umbra; otherwise, she discarded them without mercy.
-Were you satisfied with Kwon Han-ul, then?
At K’s question, a smile bloomed across Catalina Blaga’s face—the kind of genuine, unrestrained laughter that only emerged when one was truly delighted and overflowing with joy.
“Beyond expectations… no, he was extraordinary enough to transcend my expectations entirely.”
-Was that all?
“I wanted to judge Little Dragon’s qualities by seeing how intact he could remain before Joo Ha-yeon arrived.”
True to her nickname as a human collector, Catalina Blaga possessed a unique standard for evaluating people.
And from K’s experience, that standard was always eerily accurate.
“Passing if alive, top-tier if limbs are intact… But what about Little Dragon?”
-I defeated Ruin.
“Yes! He won! I don’t know how, but… he won! Really! He truly won!”
Catalina Blaga stomped the floor with her feet. As if she were going mad with delight.
“I’ve never met anyone like Little Dragon! Among all the talents I’ve encountered so far… no, among all the people… he was the best!”
Catalina Blaga clutched her face with both hands. Her eyes were tinted with madness.
“I want to have him no matter what. Absolutely. If necessary, even at the cost of sacrificing the Blaga Family.”
K suddenly felt an odd sense of dissonance.
It wasn’t the first time Catalina Blaga had grown excited upon discovering a talent she fancied.
But something about her current demeanor seemed slightly off. As if she were possessed, one might say.
“By the way, Nadia?”
At that moment, Catalina Blaga turned to look at the seat beside her. There sat Nadia Blaga, holding her breath in silence.
“You’ve told me everything that happened in the Dungeon, haven’t you?”
Nadia Blaga swallowed hard. She spoke with a tense expression.
“Yes, yes… I was definitely hiding, but. Kwon Han-ul… no, Kwon Han-ul found me.”
“You were discovered even with the artifact?”
“Yes, yes!”
Catalina Blaga examined Nadia Blaga with a somewhat suspicious expression. Nadia Blaga shrank her shoulders.
“Well, he killed Ruin too. There’s no way he wouldn’t find Nadia.”
Fortunately, Catalina Blaga did not continue to suspect Nadia Blaga.
“And Nadia would never lie to me.”
One who possessed the Heukcheon Bloodline could never defy the words of a superior bloodline.
Though Catalina Blaga and Nadia Blaga shared the same bloodline, the disparity in their dominion was immense.
….
Nadia Blaga gripped her clothes tightly. And in her mind, she conjured the face of Kwon Han-ul.
* * *
Upon returning to the Hotel, Kwon Han-ul had to explain what had happened in the Dungeon.
“So you’re saying… you discovered a skill in the Mei Family Warehouse the other day?”
Hearing Kwon Han-ul’s excuse, Joo Ha-yeon wore an expression of skepticism.
“Yes, there was this suspicious statue, and when I touched it, I suddenly acquired a skill.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“You said it yourself back then. The Chairman sent me to find elixirs to raise my stats. I was afraid of being interrogated if I obtained anything else, so I hid it. I missed the chance to mention it later and ended up concealing it unintentionally.”
Kwon Han-ul emphasized the words “unintentionally.” Joo Ha-yeon’s eyes remained suspicious.
“…Please tell me next time without fail.”
But it seemed she had decided to believe him in the end.
“At the very least, tell me. It could be something dangerous.”
“I didn’t mention it because I thought there was nothing dangerous about a skill.”
“You may not know this, Kwon Han-ul, but among relics there exist cursed weapons that steal their owner’s life—similarly, there are skills like that too. They’re even more insidious because once acquired, they cannot be erased.”
Only then did Kwon Han-ul understand the real reason Joo Ha-yeon was angry.
It wasn’t anger over the concealment—she had been worried about his safety.
“…I’ll definitely tell you next time.”
“You must.”
Joo Ha-yeon smiled faintly. It seemed her anger had fully subsided.
“Oh, and I obtained something like this.”
Kwon Han-ul produced Ruin Aspadam’s subspace gem. Joo Ha-yeon’s eyes widened slightly.
“It’s Ruin Aspadam’s subspace gem.”
“That’s right. Could you help me sort through the contents?”
“Of course.”
Kwon Han-ul emptied all the items from Ruin Aspadam’s subspace gem.
Unfortunately, it didn’t contain many items.
“These are body-enhancement elixirs. This one increases agility, and this one….”
While examining the items, Joo Ha-yeon’s hands paused briefly.
“This is… a martial robe.”
It was a martial robe with a bird drawn on a yellow background.
It was neither a relic nor a specially crafted item. It was simply an ordinary garment with no special properties.
“What kind of robe is this?”
“It was likely given to him by the Lightning Sage. The Lightning Sage is said to personally craft and bestow martial robes upon his disciples.”
Joo Ha-yeon carefully folded the robe and handed it to Kwon Han-ul.
“It’s not a particularly remarkable item… but if you happen to meet the Lightning Sage later, returning it wouldn’t be a bad idea. The Lightning Sage is someone who cares deeply for his disciples.”
“…But wouldn’t he try to kill me for slaying his disciple?”
At those words, Joo Ha-yeon laughed softly.
“On the contrary, he would be grateful. He’d say you corrected a disciple who had strayed from the path.”
I had never lost by following Joo Ha-yeon’s advice. I accepted the robe. It was as clean as if it had just been washed yesterday.
Suddenly, a question came to mind.
Ruin Aspadam had abandoned his master and entered Catalina Blaga’s service.
Yet he still kept the martial robe his master had given him….
“Well, it’s got nothing to do with me.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing.”
Kwon Han-ul examined the remaining items. Now only miscellaneous objects were left.
But among them, a small stone tablet caught his eye.
“This is….”
A Memory Page.
An artifact that contained a skill.
Lightning Sage’s Heavenly Fist – Flash Step
-Quality: Legendary (SS+)
-Description: A complementary movement technique paired with the Lightning Sage’s Heavenly Fist. At its peak, one can move at the speed of light.
*Skill Acquisition Condition: Lightning Sage’s Heavenly Fist Second Heaven mastered to 10-star.
**Skill Acquisition Condition 2: Only possible if you possess Lightning Power.
Memory Pages disappear upon skill acquisition. The fact that this one remained meant that even Ruin Aspadam hadn’t yet acquired this skill.
“A pie in the sky.”
Since it was a movement technique paired with the Lightning Sage’s Heavenly Fist, it was undoubtedly an exceptional technique.
But the acquisition conditions were problematic. Kwon Han-ul hadn’t learned the Lightning Sage’s Heavenly Fist, and unlike Ruin Aspadam, he didn’t possess a Gift that could alter the nature of magical power.
He couldn’t sell it either. If he did, the Lightning Sage wouldn’t leave Kwon Han-ul alone.
“I’ll have to return this to the Lightning Sage when I meet him later.”
Then, a thought suddenly flashed through Kwon Han-ul’s mind.
The Asura Bloodline grants talent for martial arts. The Genius Bloodline expands thinking and elevates comprehension.
With these two bloodlines, couldn’t he decompose and recreate this skill?
Kwon Han-ul stroked his chin, lost in thought. After deliberating for a while, he reached a conclusion.
“It might just work.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————