Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 53

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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 53】

Chapter 53: Bringing in Fresh Blood (1)

A week had passed since I left Park Tae-sik’s Workshop.
During that time, I’d been occupied tending to the golden apple sapling and wrestling with how to reconstruct the Pure Light Technique.
Cultivating the golden apple sapling was finicky, but not particularly difficult.
The real problem lay with the Pure Light Technique.
I was deconstructing existing skills to modify them.
Even with the Asura Bloodline and Genius Bloodline at my disposal, finding a solution proved agonizingly difficult.
Just as I was about to give up, a new idea struck me. After that, the path forward began to reveal itself.
The Pure Light Technique is a skill that leverages the nature of lightning power. Ordinary mana struggles to unlock its advantages.
That’s why I decided to substitute the Monarch demon ability—which governs wind—for the lightning power.
Monarch is an ability that commands the wind.
I would replace the Pure Light Technique’s lightning with wind force.
“Brr, it’s cold.”
Once again, I found myself facing the Cliff in the early dawn hours.
I was practicing the fusion of Monarch and the Pure Light Technique.
“I still can’t quite get the feel for it.”
Before beginning my practice, I muttered a brief complaint.
Applying the Pure Light Technique’s structure to Monarch was essentially creating a skill from scratch.
Normally, skills are acquired.
That’s why generating a skill is nearly impossible in difficulty.
【Manifesting the demon ability ‘Monarch’.】
A gale erupted around me, its vortex hurling gravel from the ground in all directions.
I began moving the wind according to the Pure Light Technique’s fundamental principles.
The wind that had been swirling aimlessly now began to spiral around my back as its center.
“So far, so good.”
I intensified the wind from Monarch further.
The vortex grew increasingly violent. A deafening howl of wind tore through the air.
“It’s working better than expected today?”
Until yesterday, even this simple motion had eluded me. But today, I could condense the wind effortlessly.
Riding this momentum, I decided to attempt a more challenging technique.
I turned to face the Cliff once more.
The Cliff rose in perfect vertical lines, as though carved by some ancient hand.
I stepped toward it.
In that instant, the wind at my back spiraled beyond my control and detonated.
The explosion hurled me toward the Cliff.
“Ugh, ugh!”
Before I could even resist, I was slammed into the cliff face. Cracks spiderwebbed outward from the point of impact.
Moments later, I tumbled to the ground.
“Ow, ow, ow…”
I winced, gingerly touching my nose.
I’d managed to shield myself with mana just before the collision, but the pain was unavoidable.
“Man, this is harder than I thought.”
I grumbled, but immediately pushed myself up to try again.
Yet every attempt yielded the same frustrating result.
I could condense the wind successfully enough, but the moment I tried to move using it, I’d go flying in some other direction entirely.
How long had I been struggling like this?
“Kwon Han-ul?”
Joo Ha-yeon, who had come to meet me, asked with a note of concern in her voice.
“Are you… alive?”
I was in such a pitiful state that her worry was entirely justified.
My entire body was caked in dirt from repeated collisions, and my clothes were torn in several places.
“Ah, Ha-yeon.”
“Here, take some water and a towel first.”
Joo Ha-yeon handed me a towel and a water bottle. My throat was parched, so I immediately unscrewed the cap and drank deeply.
The thirst vanished, replaced by a refreshing coolness. I wiped my mouth.
Then I used the towel to wipe away the sweat. The mixture of dirt made me feel thoroughly unpleasant.
“It seems things didn’t go well today either.”
Joo Ha-yeon glanced around as she spoke. The ground was pitted in several places, and the cliff face bore two or three fresh holes.
“When exactly are you planning to tell me why you’ve been suffering through this every single dawn?”
I hadn’t told Joo Ha-yeon about this endeavor.
Fusing two different powers and skills to create an entirely new one was normally impossible.
It was only because I possessed the Genius Bloodline and the Asura Bloodline that I could even attempt it.
“I’m just trying to get better at using the Monarch’s power, that’s all.”
So I had no choice but to brush her off vaguely.
“I really don’t think that’s the truth.”
Her sharp observation stung. I scrambled for another excuse.
“But you should probably stop for today anyway.”
“Already?”
“Yes. The Chairman called for you. Your appointment is in two hours, so you need to start preparing now.”
A question mark appeared on my face.
The Chairman hadn’t shown me any interest since the Auction House incident. So why the sudden summons?
“What’s this about?”
“Who knows? You’ll have to go see for yourself.”
Her playful tone filled me with an ominous premonition.

* * *

“Leave.”
The Chairman spoke those words the moment we met after so long.
“…I’m sorry?”
“Have you lost your hearing? I said leave the Main House now.”
I retraced my recent actions in my mind. No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn’t recall doing anything that would have fallen out of the Chairman’s favor.
“I can’t keep feeding and housing you for free forever. As a member of the Heukcheon Bloodline, you need to go out and take on assignments.”
“Ah, that’s what you meant? I thought you were kicking me out.”
“What nonsense.”
At the Chairman’s rebuke, I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
“Take this. It’s an assignment allocated to you.”
The Chairman flicked a piece of paper toward me. I caught it and read through the contents.
The request was a simple bodyguard mission. Protect the client from assassins and that’s it.
The problem was the identity of those assassins.
“Chairman?”
“What is it?”
“I think I might be misreading this… but the suspected assassin group is Pandemonium?”
At my words, the Chairman’s expression darkened.
“So what about it?”
“Well, it’s not just ‘so what’….”
Bokmajon, or Pandemonium.
Only the vilest of villains could join—a shadowy hunter organization.
One couldn’t even gain entry to Pandemonium with ordinary crimes.
According to rumors, most of the world’s most wanted fugitives belong to Pandemonium.
“Does a member of the Heukcheon Bloodline fear such small-time criminals?”
At Kwon Seon-woo’s words, I found myself speechless.
Pandemonium’s hunters were no ordinary villains.
The fact that they committed horrific crimes and still lived meant they were proportionally powerful.
If the global rankings represented the hunters of the light, then Pandemonium was essentially a criminal-exclusive world ranking.
To call such beings small-time criminals.
I knew Kwon Seon-woo had the qualifications to do so, but I couldn’t help my astonishment.
“I’m not afraid. I was just surprised to suddenly be tasked with facing such people.”
“You killed Ruin Aspadam—don’t be intimidated by mere Pandemonium thugs.”
My eyes widened at those words.
“You knew?”
“There is nothing in Heukcheon that I don’t know.”
Kwon Seon-woo spoke as if it were obvious.
“Ruin Aspadam went mad and caused a rampage, which you stopped. In the process, you killed Ruin Aspadam single-handedly.”
A smile appeared on Kwon Seon-woo’s face.
“The Lightning Sage’s disciple losing to the Heukcheon Bloodline? That stubborn bastard would have a stroke if he found out. Well done.”
I’d never met the Lightning Sage directly, but I got a strong sense that he and Heukcheon weren’t on good terms.
“You’re trusting Catalina Blaga’s words?”
“Do you take me for a fool?”
Kwon Seon-woo spoke with conviction.
“She’s terrifyingly skilled at reading men’s hearts. Would she not have known what would happen to her own subordinate? It’s definitely her scheming. That’s why I was planning to go there myself, but….”
Kwon Seon-woo’s brow furrowed slightly.
“They came forward with compensation first. They claim it was their oversight, but since the Blaga Family’s bloodline also died, they say they’re victims too.”
In that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine.
Could it be that even the bloodline’s death was something Catalina Blaga intended?
“Given those circumstances, I couldn’t escalate the matter. I decided to let it slide this time.”
Suddenly, Kwon Seon-woo pulled a phone from a drawer and tossed it to me.
“What is this?”
“A direct line to reach me. If Catalina Blaga tries any more schemes, contact me directly. I’ll declare war on the Blaga Family immediately.”
I swallowed hard. The small phone suddenly felt incredibly heavy in my hands.
“If you have the strength to kill Ruin Aspadam, that’s more than enough to handle this escort mission.”
“But… how can I possibly handle an escort mission alone?”
When protecting someone, numbers matter more than individual strength.
You never know when or where danger might strike.
The contract clearly stated that an entire unit should handle it.
“Where did that confidence you showed at the Auction House go? Didn’t you say you’d make a name for yourself on the world stage?”
Faced with that, I had nothing left to say.
“Besides, strictly speaking, you’re not alone. Ha-yeon is with you, isn’t she?”
“Can Ha-yeon participate in this mission too?”
“There’s no reason she can’t. She’s currently assigned to your protection, after all.”
The Chairman rested his chin on his hand and continued.
“If we assess the total power needed for this contract as ten parts, Ha-yeon accounts for five parts, and you account for three parts.”
Five parts.
That meant Joo Ha-yeon was currently far stronger than I was.
Coming from a transcendent like Kwon Seon-woo, it had to be an accurate assessment.
“That still leaves two parts short.”
“You’ll have to fill in those two parts yourself.”
I licked my lips.
“I’d like to confirm something.”
“What is it?”
“You said you’d provide any support I needed if I assembled a team.”
“I did. Of course, I’m not going to entertain any unreasonable requests.”
Kwon Seon-woo’s eyes gleamed sharply, as if warning me not to talk nonsense.
“Thank you for remembering. Once the team is assembled, I’ll contact you.”
“Do as you like. More importantly, time’s up. Get out now.”
Once the promised twenty minutes had elapsed, the Chairman coldly dismissed Kwon Han-ul. He offered a brief bow before turning to leave the room.
“Chan-seong has subjugated one more SS-rank monster this time.”
Just as Kwon Han-ul reached for the door, the Chairman’s voice cut through the silence.
“I don’t know what you’re aiming for, but if you want to catch up to Chan-seong, you’d better hurry.”
For a moment, Kwon Han-ul found it hard to believe. Was the Chairman actually worried about him?
Pushing the question aside, Kwon Han-ul opened the door and stepped outside.
“How did the meeting go?”
Instead of answering, Kwon Han-ul handed over a document. Joo Ha-yeon examined it and spoke with surprise.
“It’s a bodyguard assignment. The suspected assassins are from Pandemonium… quite a challenging mission.”
“Tell me about it.”
“The biggest problem is our limited manpower. We can’t possibly handle a protection detail with just two people… why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
Just like the Chairman, Joo Ha-yeon didn’t seem particularly concerned about the name Pandemonium.
I found myself wondering—just how powerful were they, really?
“Since we still have time, we should use it to recruit additional team members.”
“Team members, you say…”
Kwon Han-ul trailed off. It wasn’t that I had refused to accept team members out of preference.
I had been receiving information about solo hunters operating within the Heukcheon Estate. But not a single one of them had caught my interest.
“All the capable ones have already been recruited by other teams.”
“Don’t you think your standards might be too high?”
“I can’t afford to lower them.”
As Kwon Seon-woo had said, I didn’t have much time.
Kwon Chan-seong alone, the immediate obstacle before me, had already reached the realm of transcendence. My team members’ capabilities paled in comparison.
There was only one way to catch up: recruit talent as exceptional as my rivals.
“I understand your position, but for this assignment, we have no choice but to add at least one more member.”
I let out a groan.
Joo Ha-yeon was right—time was running out.
“Let me review the roster once more. Or should we hire mercenaries separately?”
“Do you have that kind of money?”
Kwon Han-ul fell silent. Mercenaries capable of fighting Pandemonium’s villains would be expensive—that much was obvious.
“Even after joining Heukcheon, I’m still worried about money…”
Kwon Han-ul looked up at the sky and sighed.
Then Joo Ha-yeon smiled subtly.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“Because I happen to have news that’s perfect for you.”
“News?”
“You know the Training Institute held its graduation ceremony recently, right?”
Kwon Han-ul nodded.
The Training Institute was an organization established by the Heukcheon Group to cultivate hunters.
Hunters who weren’t part of the Heukcheon Bloodline received their education at the Training Institute before joining the Heukcheon Group.
“Why that graduation ceremony?”
Kwon Han-ul hadn’t paid much attention to the graduation ceremony itself.
After all, compared to the Heukcheon Bloodline, ordinary hunters simply couldn’t match their capabilities.
If a newcomer possessed talent that could rival the bloodline, word would have already spread.
Since no such rumors had surfaced, I dismissed it without a second thought.
“Apparently, an exceptionally skilled individual appeared at that graduation ceremony.”
Kwon Han-ul felt skepticism before curiosity. Someone suddenly appearing out of nowhere? That didn’t add up.
“How skilled are we talking about?”
“According to the rumors, they say even ordinary Heukcheon purebloods wouldn’t be able to defeat this person.”
My doubts deepened. A genius of that caliber had remained unknown until now?
“Apparently, many units are already moving to recruit this graduate.”
“Then they would have already gone somewhere else.”
“Strangely enough, they rejected all recruitment offers.”
“They rejected everyone?”
“Yes, so the Kwon Family temporarily assigned them to clear dungeons around the Main House.”
Kwon Han-ul tilted his head. How had news of such an exceptional talent not reached him until now?
“You’re not joking with me, are you?”
“How could I possibly dare to do such a thing?”
“It’s just hard to believe that someone so skilled suddenly appeared out of nowhere.”
“Ah, well, apparently they weren’t trained at the Training Institute. I heard they only participated for symbolic reasons.”
Kwon Han-ul stopped tilting his head and furrowed his brow instead.
“Who exactly is this person?”
“It’s Mei Hong.”
At first, the name didn’t ring a bell. Only after searching my memory could I recall it.
“…Could it be?”
“Yes, it’s that woman who helped Heukcheon during the war with the Mei Family.”
The unexpected name left Kwon Han-ul bewildered.
“Mei Hong participated in the Training Institute graduation ceremony?”
“Perhaps she was under investigation until now and has only just officially joined the Kwon Family? That’s probably why she participated in the graduation ceremony.”
It was a reasonable speculation. Though I couldn’t be certain.
“Mei Hong’s skills are really that impressive?”
It wasn’t an unreasonable claim. Mei Hong had been skilled enough to represent the Mei Family, after all.
“Even if we go looking for her, there’s no guarantee we can recruit her. Many teams have already tried and been rejected.”
With that level of skill, she could receive excellent treatment within the Heukcheon Group.
The fact that she rejected everyone suggested there was definitely something more to the story.
“What will you do?”
At Joo Ha-yeon’s question, Kwon Han-ul pondered briefly before reaching a decision.
“Let’s go pay her a visit.”

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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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