Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 63

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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 63】

Chapter 63: Mission Preparation (1)

I received the message, but I couldn’t return to the Main House immediately.
Only after watching Mei Hong conquer a Platinum-grade Dungeon did I head back to the Main House.
“You’ve arrived.”
The moment I stepped inside, Joo Ha-yeon greeted us as if she’d been waiting.
“What about the item?”
“I’ve already received it. Let’s head inside first.”
Following Joo Ha-yeon’s words, I made my way to my Mansion.
Upon entering, I spotted a rectangular case—an attaché case, commonly known as a 007 briefcase.
“It’s a special case used by the manufacturing department to maintain security. Only a person designated in advance can open it.”
Joo Ha-yeon gestured toward it.
“Try placing your hand on top of the case.”
I did as Joo Ha-yeon instructed, placing my hand on the case.
The case absorbed my mana, and with a click, the lock disengaged.
With trembling hands, I slowly opened the briefcase. Inside lay a pair of shoes and a pair of gloves.
They were leather shoes and gloves of the sort office workers might wear—clean in design with no unnecessary ornamentation.
I turned to Joo Ha-yeon with a puzzled expression.
“Are you certain Master Park Tae-sik crafted these?”
“Yes, I am. Why do you ask?”
“Master Park Tae-sik created equipment like this?”
The same Park Tae-sik who’d been so critical of the Black River Set’s design had created equipment of this caliber? It didn’t make sense to me.
“I asked him to match the design with the Black River Set if possible. It looks better that way.”
“What did he say?”
“He complained quite a bit. But I kept asking, and fortunately, he eventually agreed.”
Joo Ha-yeon smiled softly as she said this. A slight chill ran down my spine. How exactly had she made such a rigid man compromise his pride?
“Try putting them on.”
I put on the gloves first. Remarkably, the moment I wore them, they clung perfectly to my hands. It felt less like wearing gloves and more like a second layer of skin.
【Ink Strength (墨强) – Gloves】
-Quality: Legendary (SS)
-Description: Leather gloves crafted by Master Park Tae-sik using the fangs and hide of a Dragon Hatchling. Thanks to the use of compressed materials, all performance has been significantly enhanced.
-Abilities
1. Aura potency increased by up to 30%.
2. Piercing and slashing attack potency increased by up to 30%.
3. Ignore enemy defense by up to 30%.
Next, I put on the shoes.
Ink Strength (墨强) – Leather Boots
-Quality: Legendary (SS)
-Description: Leather boots crafted by master craftsman Park Tae-sik using the fangs and hide of a dragon hatchling. Thanks to the use of compressed materials, all performance has been greatly enhanced.
-Abilities
1. Aura power increased by up to 30%.
2. Impact-type attack power increased by up to 30%.
3. Ignore enemy defense by up to 30%.
*When the complete Ink Strength set is equipped, special skills become available.
Ink Strength Set Effect
1. Dragon Technique – Generates a special aura that nullifies the enemy’s magical power.
The Black River created by Weaver Heinkel, the Alchemist Archmage, was ranked Legendary S++.
And the Ink Strength set created by Park Tae-sik was SS-grade. Park Tae-sik’s boast that he stood above Weaver Heinkel was no exaggeration.
“Wow….”
Admiration flickered across Mei Hong’s face beside me. As a weapons expert, she immediately recognized just how extraordinary the Ink Strength set was.
“Try it out!”
“Try it?”
“Well, throw a punch or something.”
Kwon Han-ul extended his fist into the empty air as Mei Hong suggested.
Bang!
Despite the casual motion, the surrounding air was forcefully displaced with a loud crack.
Kwon Han-ul shivered slightly. If I went all out like this? I was confident I could topple even Mount Tai.
“Do you like it?”
“It’s the best, seriously. It’s already powerful as is. And there’s still the special skill left, right? If I use that too….”
Kwon Han-ul found himself excitedly rambling without realizing it. Joo Ha-yeon smiled with evident joy.
“By the way, Mei Hong. I have something for you as well.”
“For me?”
“Yes, the Chairman gave special instructions.”
Joo Ha-yeon opened a subspace and retrieved something. It was a crimson garment with striking tiger patterns.
“Equipment the Chairman instructed me to give you as congratulations for joining the team. It’s made from the hide of a Scarlet Tiger, and the effects are….”
“Kyaaaaaah!”
Mei Hong shrieked with excitement as she received the garment. After examining it from every angle, she cried out once more.
“You’re really giving this to me? Seriously? This isn’t a dream, is it?”
“I made a request as well. Since we were getting something, might as well be something good….”
“Unnie! I really love you!”
Mei Hong embraced Joo Ha-yeon. Joo Ha-yeon, looking flustered, gently separated herself from her.
“Try putting it on first.”
“Yes!”
Mei Hong left briefly to change clothes. Once she disappeared, Kwon Han-ul asked me a question.
“Is that really such good equipment?”
“It’s Legendary A+++ grade equipment. For a swordmaster, it’s the finest equipment available. I thought they wouldn’t hand it over since so many covet it, but given the Chairman’s orders, they gave it without complaint.”
“That stingy man actually issued such an order?”
Kwon Han-ul found it utterly unbelievable.
“The Chairman said it was all thanks to you, Kwon Han-ul.”
“Thanks to me?”
“Yes, he promised to provide full support to your team as compensation for losing the wager.”
Hearing those words, I felt an inexplicable sense of injustice.
“But why hasn’t he done anything for me….”
Just as my resentment continued to swell, Mei Hong emerged after changing her clothes.
“Sister! This is truly amazing! Wearing it makes my body feel lighter, and I’m overflowing with energy!”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it? This doesn’t even exist in the Mei Family Compound!”
Mei Hong examined the garment repeatedly, clearly delighted with it.
“Oh, and I brought this as well.”
Next, Joo Ha-yeon drew out a longsword and offered it to me.
“It’s the White River Blade. A sword forged from rare metals discovered in dungeons and refined through retemperament.”
The moment Mei Hong saw the blade, her expression grew serious. She accepted it with both hands and examined it carefully.
She drew the scabbard to inspect the blade itself, then extended it at a distance to test its balance.
I wondered how long she studied it.
“…It’s a fine sword.”
Despite her words, Mei Hong’s expression had grown slightly rigid. Noticing this, Joo Ha-yeon asked her a question.
“If it doesn’t suit your taste, I can bring you a different blade.”
“No! This sword is already more than I deserve! It truly is magnificent! It’s just….”
Mei Hong trailed off. Kwon Han-ul, who had been observing, spoke up.
“You were thinking of your father’s sword.”
At those words, Mei Hong slowly nodded.
The blade her father once wielded before it passed to Maejung First Sword now rests in Kwon Mi’s hands.
It would likely be impossible for Mei Hong to reclaim that sword. She had rejected Kwon Mi’s offer to join Kwon Hu-don’s team in exchange for the blade.
“Do you regret it?”
“No, of course not.”
Mei Hong spoke with conviction.
“My father would want me to pursue vengeance rather than cling to such a memento.”
A faint glimmer of killing intent flickered in Mei Hong’s eyes before vanishing.
“Oh, and Kwon Han-ul.”
Just as the atmosphere grew slightly awkward, Joo Ha-yeon produced another item.
“There’s one more thing.”
Joo Ha-yeon gestured to her servants. One of them approached carrying a tray with a round lid sealed shut.
Yet the servant’s movements were extraordinarily cautious, as though this act were a sacred mission to be fulfilled only once in a lifetime.
The servant set down the tray and lifted the lid. Brilliant light poured through the narrow opening.
Simultaneously, a refreshing fragrance filled the entire room. Without realizing it, I swallowed hard.
The lid fell completely away from the tray. Upon it lay a single golden apple, radiating dazzling light.
“The tree withered immediately after bearing fruit.”
Joo Ha-yeon’s explanation barely registered in my mind. My eyes were fixated solely on the golden apple.
“Have you decided which stat to increase?”
I nodded silently.
“Then consume it.”
Before Joo Ha-yeon could finish speaking, I bit into the golden apple.

* * *

The moment it touched my tongue, the flesh of the golden apple dissolved. It transformed into vapor and was absorbed into my body.
‘…An enormous amount.’
It felt like pouring the water from a massive reservoir directly into my body.
What was remarkable was how such an immense surge of power was absorbed without any strain.
【You have consumed the ‘Golden apple’.】
【Tremendous energy transforms your body.】
【You can raise one stat to S-rank.】
【Which stat will you raise?】
I chose without hesitation.
【The golden apple’s energy raises your Stamina.】
Among Strength, Agility, Stamina, Mana, Perception, and Mental Fortitude, I selected Stamina.
Truthfully, I wanted to raise Mana. All hunters consider Mana the most prized among the six stats.
If other stats are the framework, Mana is the fuel flowing through the body. Superior Mana alone can compensate for deficiencies in other stats.
Yet I deliberately chose Stamina.
The reason was my bloodlines.
Currently, by using bloodlines simultaneously, I could gain tremendous power.
The fact that I defeated Ruin Aspadam and Noh Ho-min without reaching S-rank proved this.
But great power always demands a price.
Each time I stacked bloodlines, I felt my body deteriorating.
That’s why I chose Stamina first.
【’Stamina’ reaches S-rank.】
As a hunter’s Stamina stat increases, they can remain active longer and recover spent energy more rapidly.
And S-rank Stamina transforms a hunter’s body into something as resilient as metal.
Ordinary blades cannot even leave a mark. Even with aura layered on top, the result is the same.
The transformation from the golden apple didn’t end there.
【You have consumed the golden apple. You acquire the special skill ‘Golden Resonance’.】
【Golden Resonance】
-Quality: Legendary (A++)
-Description: A skill usable only by those who have consumed the golden apple. You can emit the golden apple’s energy to strengthen vitality.
-Abilities
1. You can strengthen your own or another’s vitality to heal wounds.
2. When using the Golden Command on plants, it can accelerate their growth rate.
While there are many elixirs that can raise stats to S-rank, the Golden Apple is considered supreme among them precisely because of this Golden Command.
Skills that restore wounds are remarkably rare. High-rank recovery skills are even rarer still.
‘I’ve obtained everything I need from this.’
It was at that moment when Kwon Han-ul thought this that an unexpected message appeared.
【’Healthy Blood’ reacts to the Golden Apple!】
【’Healthy Blood’ absorbs the essence of the Golden Apple! Its power grows even stronger!】
I felt the power of the Healthy Blood within my body expanding further. Soon, a new message appeared.
【’Healthy Blood’ strengthens your body!】
【You can raise one stat to AAA-rank!】
‘AAA-rank?’
It was a grade I’d never heard of before. Stats should go from A directly to S, shouldn’t they?
‘Still, there’s no harm in accepting the boost.’
My second deliberation was brief.
【’Mana’ reaches AAA-rank.】
The mana that had been quietly dormant began to surge. I broke into a cold sweat as I struggled to control it.
I’d been careless because it wasn’t S-rank. The mana that reached AAA-rank was on an entirely different level.
It was far rougher and more formidable. Controlling it was no easy task.
It was like a house cat transforming into a leopard.
“…Phew.”
I exhaled a long breath. So much had happened in such a brief moment.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Joo Ha-yeon spoke to me.
“It seems you chose mana.”
“No.”
“What? That can’t be. The wave just now was clearly….”
I didn’t bother explaining with words. Instead, I gave an order to Mei Hong.
“Try cutting my neck with that blade.”
Mei Hong drew without hesitation. However, her blade couldn’t cut through my neck and was stopped.
“…You really did tell me to cut, so I cut.”
I spoke with a wry expression. I hadn’t expected her to be so unflinching about it.
“I thought you wouldn’t have ordered it if it wasn’t safe.”
Mei Hong slowly sheathed her blade. Where the blade had struck, only a faint mark remained.
Though it carried no aura, the White Steel Blade was a renowned sword that could cut through rock like water.
Even such a blade couldn’t sever my neck.
“…You chose vitality.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
I touched my neck. The wound had already completely healed. This too was thanks to my S-rank vitality.
I’d secured my equipment and raised my stats. Now only one task remained.
“Ha-yeon, how much time do we have left before the deadline the Chairman gave us?”
“You must arrive at the designated location by the day after tomorrow.”
At those words, Kwon Han-ul smiled and spoke.
“That works out perfectly.”

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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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