Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 58
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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 58】
Chapter 58: Steel
【The fusion of the demonic powers ‘Monarch’ and ‘Pure Light Protection’ is complete!】
Knowledge and experience that had never aligned until now merged into one.
A refreshing sensation spread through me, as if ice water had been poured through a hole drilled in my skull.
【A new skill has been created.】
I could feel the new skill taking root within my body.
It was different from when I obtained the Celestial Dragon Ascension Technique. Back then, unfamiliar knowledge had been injected, leaving only a sense of strangeness.
But this skill was different. It was the fruit of Kwon Han-ul’s anguish, endless effort, and research.
【The first stage of ‘Heavenly Sky Flight Path’ — ‘Solitary Sprint’ is activated.】
【The skill’s proficiency is still low. Massive mana is being consumed.】
A fierce wind swept forth as mana was torn away in chunks.
The wind created by Monarch’s power had always swirled around Kwon Han-ul.
But this time was different. It soared skyward, in the direction Noh Ho-min had fled.
【’Heavenly Sky Flight Path’ has been generated.】
Observing Noh Ho-min’s skill, the Asura Bloodline provided Kwon Han-ul with the answer.
If controlling the flow of wind was difficult, then simply let it move as it pleased.
And thus it was perfected—a wind path that granted the ability to soar through the heavens.
Kwon Han-ul entrusted his smartphone to Joo Ha-yeon. Then he turned to face Gu Eon.
“I must keep my promise.”
I surrendered myself to the wind path. In that instant, a violent gale erupted. It was so fierce that keeping my eyes open became nearly impossible.
When the tempest finally ceased, Kwon Han-ul was gone from that place.
* * *
What exactly did I just witness?
Immediately after Kwon Han-ul vanished, Gu Eon found himself replaying the scene in his mind.
It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t awe-inspiring. He simply flew away.
But it was terrifyingly fast—a burst of speed that approached S-rank agility, however momentary.
-Put Gu Eon on the line, would you?
The Chairman’s voice came through Kwon Han-ul’s smartphone, which Joo Ha-yeon was holding.
Gu Eon accepted the phone respectfully with both hands.
“Yes, Chairman.”
-What do you think will happen to him?
For a moment, the mysterious skill Kwon Han-ul had deployed flickered before his eyes.
Yet Gu Eon’s answer remained unwavering.
“Without question, he won’t catch up to Noh Ho-min. He’ll lose him.”
Gu Eon spoke in a flat tone. To him, Kwon Han-ul’s failure was already written in stone.
-Is it intuition?
“There’s no need to invoke intuition. Noh Ho-min is trash who murdered his own comrades for greed. But I cannot deny his skill.”
There was no point listing trivial reasons. Noh Ho-min possessed S-rank agility.
An insurmountable wall existed between A-rank and S-rank. Kwon Han-ul could never catch him.
-But that criminal won’t be in peak condition either.
“True. His organs are lacerated, and we drove steel spikes through his thighs multiple times. He’s sustained numerous other wounds. Right now, Noh Ho-min can only operate at sixty percent of his normal capacity.”
-And yet you’re saying Kwon Han-ul will still fail to catch him?
“Yes.”
Gu Eon spoke again with absolute conviction.
-I see. But this time, I find your assessment difficult to trust.
Gu Eon’s pupils trembled. The Chairman’s words struck him like a blow.
-That arrogant bastard… Kwon Han-ul has a habit of exceeding expectations.
Kwon Seon-woo posed the question in a measured tone.
-Care to wager with me? Whether Kwon Han-ul can actually apprehend that criminal or not?
Gu Eon answered without hesitation, as though deliberation were unnecessary.
“He absolutely will not.”
* * *
“Heheheh, what kind of luck is this?”
Sliding through the air, Noh Ho-min let out a cheer.
“I thought I’d be caught by the Iron Steel Squad and worked to death, but instead I get a chance to escape like this.”
He was confident about one thing above all else—speed. None of his peers, juniors, or seniors could keep pace with Noh Ho-min.
“What should I do first after escaping? Get my equipment back first… no, wait. No. Before that, let me eat strawberries. I’ll order a whole box, rinse them in cold water, and eat my fill.”
Just imagining it filled Noh Ho-min’s face with a smile.
“After that, I need to get revenge on those bastards who reported me. First, I’ll break their fingers one by one… damn it.”
Noh Ho-min cut himself off and spat out a curse.
“Even in this pathetic condition, I can barely make it this far. It’s humiliating.”
Barely three minutes had passed.
The Camp that Noh Ho-min had fled from had long since vanished beyond the horizon. There was nothing around him.
Despite moving at a terrifying speed, Noh Ho-min still thought himself slow.
“All my plans are cancelled. First, I need to recover my body…”
Suddenly, the sound of wind reached his ears.
Noh Ho-min glanced back while maintaining his speed.
“…What is that?”
Someone was flying toward him from behind.
Or could you even call it flying? It looked like something being dragged along, or pushed forward.
Soon, Noh Ho-min found the right comparison.
“…A current?”
Like being swept up in a water current. The distance closed in an instant with each blink of his eyes.
“This is insane!”
Noh Ho-min pushed his speed even higher. Whatever that was, it filled him with nothing but dread.
Then, suddenly, that someone vanished.
“Huh? …Gack!”
In his moment of confusion, an impact struck from behind. That someone stomped on Noh Ho-min’s back and drove him downward.
“Urgh!”
With a brief cry, Noh Ho-min plummeted. He crashed through the ground and was driven deep into the earth below.
Someone landed lightly at a distance from where Noh Ho-min had fallen.
“Phew.”
Kwon Han-ul exhaled sharply.
“I barely caught him.”
I had squeezed out every ounce of strength to catch up with Noh Ho-min. My magical power was nearly depleted, but thanks to that, I managed to apprehend him.
【’Healthy Blood’ detects the user’s fatigue!】
【Magical power recovery speed temporarily increases by 100%!】
After breathing a few times, the depleted magical power quickly refilled.
Kwon Han-ul slowly approached to finish subduing Noh Ho-min.
“Ugh, urgh!”
The impact had been severe. Noh Ho-min was still unconscious.
“Hey.”
At Kwon Han-ul’s call, Noh Ho-min lifted his head with difficulty.
【The power of ‘Retainer’s Blood’ manifests.】
Kwon Han-ul’s eyes flooded with a rosy hue. His irises, brimming with the authority of Retainer’s Blood, fixed upon Noh Ho-min.
One reason I had accepted Gu Eon’s proposal with such confidence was Retainer’s Blood.
【The target’s mental fortitude is too formidable.】
【The target is consumed by intense hostility.】
【Domination is impossible.】
Unlike the Blaga Family bloodline or Ruin Aspadam, I couldn’t dominate this one.
Yet I felt no particular disappointment. It was a fact I’d already confirmed.
‘As expected, ordinary humans are difficult to control.’
After my fight with Ruin Aspadam, I conducted further research into Retainer’s Blood.
Curiously, I could easily dominate the Blaga Family bloodline or retainers, but not ordinary humans.
I could dominate them if my mana and mental strength overwhelmingly surpassed theirs, but even a slight gap made it difficult.
In such cases, I needed to diminish their mental fortitude through some method before domination became possible.
‘Then how should I dominate this bastard….’
Suddenly, Noh Ho-min twisted his body. Still seated, he swept his left leg outward.
An ominous premonition seized my mind. I leaned my torso backward.
In that instant, a slash of aura came flying.
The blade grazed past the tip of my nose by a hair’s breadth. It struck the Mountain Ridge far behind me directly.
With a sound that shook my entire body, one face of the mountain began to crumble.
“Damn it all!”
A curse rang out. I straightened my torso and looked ahead.
Noh Ho-min stared at me with bloodshot eyes.
“I’m already in a foul mood, and you trampled on me? And you’re still stuck at A-rank, you little punk!”
“How did you know? Does A-rank show that obviously?”
“Of course it shows! The weak don’t recognize the strong, but the strong always recognize the weak!”
Ptui.
Noh Ho-min spat on the ground.
“Looking at you, this bastard is being awfully cocky, isn’t he? Did you think I’d just let you go because you’re of the Heukcheon Bloodline?”
Killing intent and mana erupted explosively from Noh Ho-min’s body. He showed no sign whatsoever of being an injured man.
“I’ll grind you up and kill you!”
Watching his furious demeanor, one thought occurred to me.
There was only one way to subdue an opponent this enraged, wasn’t there?
“You’ll kill me? But I need to bring you back alive. So….”
Instead of clenching my fists, I clasped my hands behind my back. I spoke to Noh Ho-min, whose expression twisted as if asking what kind of nonsense this was.
“I won’t use my hands. I’ll only use my feet to deal with you appropriately.”
For a moment, no sound came. But shortly after, Noh Ho-min’s face crumpled like foil.
“You bastard! There’s a limit to how much you can look down on me!”
Watching Noh Ho-min, I awakened the power of the Black Dragon Bloodline.
【’Heavenly Principle Dragon Eye’ awakens.】
Kwon Han-ul’s eyes shimmered with violet light.
* * *
“More importantly, Noh Ho-min is far more than just a fast hunter.”
Gu Eon continued.
“Noh Ho-min obtained his S-rank hunter certification within merely five years of joining the Heukcheon Group. Such rapid advancement is exceptionally rare.”
-I see.
“He possesses an innate talent for combat that few can match. That’s precisely why I chose to capture him alive rather than execute him.”
Forced conscription into the Gangtaedae. Paradoxically, this itself was proof of exceptional skill.
The Gangtaedae was where talented individuals too valuable to kill were repurposed.
“I’ve heard countless reports of Bloodline’s exploits. However, Kwon Han-ul has been with the Kwon Family for less than a year. As for Noh Ho-min…”
Laughter echoed from the smartphone.
-Ah, my apologies. There was someone who said something similar before.
Even after apologizing, the Chairman couldn’t suppress his amusement.
-Well then, shall we wait and see the results?
* * *
“The Abyss Eye?”
Noh Ho-min recognized it upon seeing Kwon Han-ul’s darkened eyes.
The Abyss Eye—
A power that manifests when the Black Dragon Bloodline’s synchronization rate exceeds fifty percent.
Even within the Heukcheon Bloodline, few had awakened the Abyss Eye.
It was that formidable a power.
“Did you really think that alone would let you challenge me?”
Yet by Noh Ho-min’s assessment, Kwon Han-ul’s all stats remained at A-rank. Meanwhile, his own agility was S-rank.
No matter how powerful the Abyss Eye was, it couldn’t bridge the gap between S-rank and A-rank.
“Looks like I need to teach the Heukcheon Bloodline what knowing their place means.”
Aura gathered around Noh Ho-min’s legs. Blades of aura sprouted from his heels to his calves.
“Let me start by shredding your abdomen.”
Noh Ho-min lunged at Kwon Han-ul. His footwork was bizarre, like sliding across ice.
Strange to behold, yet possessed terrifying speed. He reached maximum velocity in an instant, then unleashed a devastating kick.
A front kick delivered at maximum speed with maximum force.
Countless monsters had been sent flying by this single technique. An A-rank couldn’t even see it coming, let alone react.
Noh Ho-min’s front kick pierced through toward Kwon Han-ul. Just before impact, Kwon Han-ul drove his knee upward.
His calf rose at a cunning angle, deflecting Noh Ho-min’s front kick.
Noh Ho-min’s front kick sailed wide, missing Kwon Han-ul and passing to the side.
“…What?”
Kwon Han-ul swung the knee he’d raised back down. He struck at Noh Ho-min’s supporting leg planted on the ground.
His knees buckled, and his head dropped low. Kwon Han-ul seized the opening and drove his knee upward into the man’s jaw.
“Ughhhh!”
His head snapped back as if struck by a sledgehammer. Broken teeth scattered downward like rain. Noh Ho-min’s body staggered backward.
“Gah, gaaahhh!”
His body and mind reeled. Within that haze, Noh Ho-min felt a surge of fierce bewilderment.
How?
How did an A-rank block my attack?
No—am I really taking hits from an A-rank right now?
Intense fury and shame seized Noh Ho-min, burning away the pain for a moment.
“Kyaaahhh!”
With a roar, Noh Ho-min activated his skill once more.
Shadowless Kick.
A skill that unleashes a barrage of kicks so fast they become invisible to the eye. It was Noh Ho-min’s signature technique and his most devastating skill.
With S-rank agility amplifying an already speed-focused skill, the effect was devastating.
The velocity transcended invisibility—it felt as though multiple legs were striking simultaneously.
Noh Ho-min’s legs multiplied. Each phantom limb lashed out at Kwon Han-ul.
Or rather, attempted to.
Just before the fractured legs could connect, Kwon Han-ul struck the empty air with his heel. Noh Ho-min’s body was hurled backward, and every phantom leg vanished.
Though he felt no direct impact, shock flooded Noh Ho-min’s face.
“How—how did you pinpoint the weakness of Shadowless Kick so precisely…?”
Shadowless Kick radiates from the knees as its pivot point. Therefore, if one can strike the knees before the skill fully activates, it can be neutralized.
The problem was that Shadowless Kick’s velocity made that timing nearly impossible to exploit.
Now that he thought about it, Kwon Han-ul had been targeting his weaknesses with perfect accuracy from the start.
As if reading his very thoughts.
“…What kind of monster are you?”
“Got anything else?”
“…What did you say?”
Kwon Han-ul seemed utterly uninterested in answering Noh Ho-min’s question.
“If not, then it’s my turn now.”
Wind began to swirl beneath Kwon Han-ul’s feet. Noh Ho-min hastily braced himself.
‘No matter what, my speed is superior. I’ll dodge every single one of your attacks!’
Kwon Han-ul moved.
Or rather, by the time Noh Ho-min registered movement, he was already inches away. Noh Ho-min flinched and drove his knee upward.
But Kwon Han-ul’s kick pierced through Noh Ho-min’s solar plexus first.
“Kughhhh!”
The pain was so intense his vision blurred. Noh Ho-min fought to maintain consciousness.
In that instant, Kwon Han-ul closed in again. He pivoted sharply on his front foot, rotating his hips with tremendous force.
‘A spinning back kick!’
Noh Ho-min prepared the same technique. If it was the same move, his speed would be superior!
That was when it happened.
Kwon Han-ul’s body suddenly moved with even greater speed. It was as if his joints were powered by motors.
“Wh-what…! Gack!”
A heel came flying in a wide arc, striking Noh Ho-min’s jaw. Something cracked, and Noh Ho-min was sent flying backward.
Noh Ho-min hit the ground and lay there groaning.
“Ugh… ugh… uhhhhh…!”
With his jaw shattered, he couldn’t form proper words.
Then footsteps sounded. When he lifted his head, he saw Kwon Han-ul standing before him.
A chill ran down his spine. It was like facing an unstoppable monster.
“P-please…!”
Noh Ho-min pleaded desperately. But Kwon Han-ul simply raised his leg without mercy.
“Ugh… uhhh… ahhhhh…!”
The shadow of his foot engulfed Noh Ho-min’s face. Noh Ho-min’s pupils trembled violently.
“Someone help me!”
Kwon Han-ul’s foot came down hard on Noh Ho-min’s face.
* * *
“Bastard.”
Kwon Han-ul withdrew his foot and spoke.
“Getting scared.”
Noh Ho-min’s head was intact. Instead, a clear footprint was stamped into the ground right beside him.
Kwon Han-ul closed his Thousand-Mile Dragon Eye. He didn’t even need to open his third eye. The basic abilities of the Thousand-Mile Dragon Eye alone were enough to overwhelm Noh Ho-min.
“Is he unconscious?”
Kwon Han-ul peered at Noh Ho-min’s face. His cheeks were streaked with tears, his expression slack as if he’d lost his mind.
“I don’t think I’ll need to use the Heukcheon Bloodline for this.”
Kwon Han-ul scratched his cheek.
“Still, just to be safe, should I place a restriction on him beforehand?”
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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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