Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 65
—————
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 65】
Chapter 65: Mission Preparation (3)
“Oh, it’s been a while.”
Kwon Hu-don greeted me with a trembling voice. Though he seemed delighted, Kwon Han-ul could not reciprocate the sentiment.
“What are you doing here?”
“Well, that is… I’ve been brought in to participate in this mission.”
Kwon Han-ul frowned. This was the first he’d heard of it.
“The Chairman never mentioned anything like that to me.”
“Of course he wouldn’t have. This was my decision.”
At that moment, Goriki Nana interjected. Kwon Han-ul’s expression turned incredulous.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve additionally hired that man’s team myself.”
“For what reason?”
“While I’m grateful for the Heukcheon Group’s support, I simply don’t trust them enough.”
Goriki Nana pressed the center of her glasses with her index finger as she spoke.
“I’ve done my own research on your team. You have only three members, and it was just recently formed, correct?”
Goriki Nana crossed her arms and spoke with an overbearing tone.
“The Takamine Family is under threat from Pandemonium. I couldn’t possibly rely solely on a team like yours, so I took measures of my own.”
“So you hired another team from Heukcheon instead?”
“Don’t nitpick. I’ve already concluded all discussions with Kwon Mi.”
At the mention of Kwon Mi’s name, Kwon Han-ul’s expression darkened. He hadn’t expected that woman to pull such a move.
“Did Takamine Ryoko know about this?”
Takamine Ryoko’s face stiffened. She took a deep breath before speaking.
“…I’m hearing this for the first time. Nana, you should have discussed such a decision with me first.”
Takamine Ryoko remonstrated with Goriki Nana, though her voice was barely audible.
“You’re still too young to make such judgments.”
“I’m an adult now.”
“You still lack experience. What if you make a mistake and reach the wrong conclusion?”
“That is…”
“I have a duty to protect you and the family until you’re capable of shouldering its responsibilities! Don’t you understand my feelings?”
In the face of Goriki Nana’s protest, Takamine Ryoko fell silent.
Kwon Han-ul sighed inwardly. He was beginning to understand how this family operated.
“The Takamine Family’s request was personally reviewed and decided upon by Chairman Kwon Seon-woo.”
At Kwon Han-ul’s words, both Takamine Ryoko and Goriki Nana turned to face him simultaneously.
“The Chairman determined that the three of us would be sufficient. Yet the Takamine Family has taken action outside the original plan.”
Kwon Han-ul’s voice grew progressively sharper.
“Surely you don’t mean to say you don’t trust the Chairman’s judgment?”
At Kwon Han-ul’s intimidation, Goriki Nana swallowed hard.
That was when it happened.
“Looks like someone’s pretty upset.”
Kwon Han-ul turned his head. One of Kwon Hu-don’s team members was grinning widely.
“I understand the frustration, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to calm down a bit.”
“And who might you be?”
“There’s actually someone who doesn’t recognize my face? That’s a bit disappointing.”
The man scratched his head.
“They call me Rockbreaker.”
The name was unfamiliar to Kwon Han-ul. But Joo Ha-yeon, standing behind him, was different.
“I never expected to see you in a place like this.”
“Oh, I figured you’d recognize me.”
Rockbreaker winked, but Joo Ha-yeon didn’t even blink.
“Ha-yeon, do you know who that man is?”
“Yes. Mark Griffin. A world-ranked hunter who goes by the alias Rockbreaker.”
Kwon Han-ul stared at the man in astonishment.
What was a world-ranked hunter? They were the pinnacle of hundreds of millions of hunters across the globe.
Even the qualifications to be considered were extraordinarily stringent. One had to possess at least three S-rank stats—the kind that earned recognition as a transcendent—just to be eligible.
“He became famous for capturing Casano, a notorious playboy designated as an official wanted criminal by the EU.”
Kwon Han-ul hadn’t known, but this man was far more renowned than he’d realized.
He was the real deal—nothing like Ruin Aspadam.
“You’re giving me too much credit. I’m getting embarrassed.”
“I hadn’t heard from you recently, so I was wondering. I never imagined Kwon Mi had recruited you.”
At Joo Ha-yeon’s words, Rockbreaker’s expression became peculiar.
“I didn’t expect to end up with the Heukcheon Group either. But the terms were so good I couldn’t refuse. So now I’m like this…”
Suddenly, Rockbreaker threw an arm around Kwon Hu-don’s shoulders.
The contrast was stark—the small, lanky frame of Kwon Hu-don against the muscular build of Rockbreaker.
“I’m working under Captain Kwon Hu-don. Oh, and my official title is Vice-Captain and Advisor.”
“R-Rockbreaker has been… very helpful.”
Kwon Hu-don spoke quietly. By any measure, they didn’t look like captain and subordinate.
“Listen here, Little Dragon.”
Rockbreaker addressed Kwon Han-ul. The unwelcome nickname made him bristle slightly.
“I understand you’re upset about not monopolizing the work, but what can you do? In this business, the strong take everything, don’t they?”
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not. It was a warning that he would demonstrate his strength if provoked.
Kwon Han-ul laughed as well. He was amazed by that attitude—defying the name and authority of Heukcheon without hesitation.
“By any measure, your team seems superior in both numbers and quality. During this mission, your team will have to follow my orders as well.”
“Your orders?”
“Ah, I misspoke.”
Rockbreaker let out a laugh, pulling Kwon Hu-don even closer as he spoke.
“You’ll have to follow our captain’s orders.”
He was claiming leadership of the mission. Kwon Han-ul felt his anger building incrementally at this overstepping.
“Excuse me.”
Mei Hong raised her hand in the frigid air.
“If we’re talking about world-rankers, we have one on our side too.”
Mei Hong glanced at Joo Ha-yeon. Joo Ha-yeon opened her mouth.
“I’m a world-ranker as well.”
Then she added with an expressionless face.
“We’re both Zero Numbering. Aren’t we in the same position?”
Zero Numbering.
The term referred to world-rankers who hadn’t made it onto the official rankings.
It sounded contradictory—a world-ranker without a ranking—but there was a reason.
Among the hundreds of millions of hunters, even the smallest fraction exceeded a thousand, making it impossible to rank them all.
Only the top five hundred world-rankers received official rankings.
In other words, those five hundred represented the absolute elite.
“Even among Zero Numbering, there are differences in caliber, aren’t there?”
Lakbreaker spoke with a scornful smile.
“Do you not know who I am?”
“I do. The Witch of Heukcheon. Of course I do. But ultimately, aren’t you also Zero Numbering like me?”
At his provocative words, Joo Ha-yeon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“That’s absolutely right!”
Just then, Goriki Nana raised her voice.
“Do you know how famous Lakbreaker here is? He’s already caught several criminals, and he’s appeared on broadcasts multiple times!”
Now that she mentioned it, Joo Ha-yeon had recognized Lakbreaker immediately. His fame must be extraordinary.
“Just listen to what this gentleman has to say!”
“That won’t be possible.”
Kwon Han-ul cut her off flatly.
“I was the one who received this mission first. Now you’re telling me to follow orders from another team? I can’t accept that.”
“Little Dragon. You’re really going to put your pride on the line against me….”
Lakbreaker couldn’t finish his sentence.
Mei Hong had already pressed a blade to his throat.
“Our captain is speaking. Could you please shut up?”
“You insolent bitch… You must have a death wish.”
“Try if you can.”
Even faced with a world-ranker’s threat, Mei Hong didn’t blink an eye.
“Then I’ll continue.”
Kwon Han-ul spoke again.
“I will be commanding this mission. Kwon Hu-don and his team members, as well as the Takamine Family, will follow my orders.”
“What are you talking about! The client is our Takamine Family! You should just obey!”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something.”
Kwon Han-ul glared at Goriki Nana.
“I didn’t come here to take orders from the Takamine Family. It was the Takamine Family who requested assistance first, and Heukcheon merely answered that call.”
Kwon Han-ul’s voice and demeanor shifted. His oppressive presence made Goriki Nana swallow hard.
“How we protect this family from Pandemonium is my decision to make. You all should simply keep quiet.”
“W-what did you just say?”
Goriki Nana’s words stumbled at what could only be described as an outrageous statement.
“True to Heukcheon’s reputation—quite the temperament you’ve got there.”
Lak Breaker twisted his mouth into a sneer. Unlike Goriki Nana, he had no intention of obediently following Kwon Han-ul’s words.
“Then before we start the mission, shall we settle the hierarchy first?”
Lak Breaker rose to his feet. Kwon Han-ul also stood and faced him directly.
Then, suddenly, he turned his gaze away. He stared intently at the empty window.
“What?”
Lak Breaker asked with a confused expression. Kwon Han-ul ignored him and spoke to Joo Ha-yeon instead.
“Ha-yeon.”
“You sensed it too, I see.”
“I can’t determine the exact number.”
“More than ten. They’ll likely break in soon.”
No one else in the room understood their exchange. Mei Hong, standing nearby, spoke with resentment.
“There they go again, speaking in riddles only they understand.”
Before Mei Hong could finish her complaint, the mansion’s windows shattered simultaneously.
Intruders poured through the broken windows.
“Where is Takamine Ryoko….”
Before the intruder could finish speaking, his head snapped backward violently. He collapsed to the ground.
The other intruders stared down in shock.
A perfect circular hole had been drilled through the intruder’s forehead.
“I heard the deadline was today.”
Kwon Han-ul withdrew his extended fingers.
Smoke rose from his index and middle fingers.
“This Ferdrans fellow—quite impatient, isn’t he?”
Finger Bullet.
It was the first time displaying the skill obtained from the Iron Fang Guild.
Kwon Han-ul gazed at his fingers and offered his assessment.
“Quite useful.”
The intruders cried out in panic.
“S-scatter! Divide his attention!”
“Activate your aura! Protect yourselves!”
Brilliant auras enveloped the intruders’ armor. They were clearly no ordinary opponents.
But Kwon Han-ul was far from ordinary himself.
Kwon Han-ul spread all ten fingers. He bent them at the second knuckle. Then he swung both arms simultaneously.
Ten bullets of mana erupted at once. They pierced through the intruders’ auras and armor with ease.
“Gack!”
“Ugh!”
“Krrgh!”
The assailants screamed and crumpled to the ground. But there were still more of them left.
“What are you standing around for! Hurry up and grab Takamine Ryoko!”
“B-but that guy over there….”
“You idiot! Whether you die here or die by his hand, what’s the difference!”
The remaining assailants rushed forward again. Kwon Han-ul reloaded his magic bullets.
But Mei Hong moved first. She dashed forward and swept her blade in a wide arc.
A crescent-shaped blade aura sliced through the assailants’ waists as it passed. Their upper and lower halves separated as they fell to the ground.
“I could have handled that.”
“A true commander only gives orders from the rear.”
Mei Hong sheathed her blade and spoke. Then, smiling brightly, she turned to Joo Ha-yeon.
“Isn’t that right, sister?”
“There are more coming.”
“What?”
Before she could finish speaking, more intruders came through the windows.
Remarkably, the intruders began running across the ceiling. It was clear they were far more skilled than the first group.
“Kyaa, kyaaaah! S-stop them! Stop them!”
Goriki Nana screamed and hid behind Takamine Ryoko’s back.
But because they were running across the high ceiling, it was difficult to make a move.
In that moment, the intruders reached directly above Takamine Ryoko’s head.
Kwon Han-ul quickly tried to fire his magic bullets. But Joo Ha-yeon extended her fingers first.
Black mana gathered at Joo Ha-yeon’s fingertips. At the same instant, black rings appeared on the intruders’ heads.
Joo Ha-yeon pointed her fingers upward. In that moment, the intruders were crushed against the ceiling.
Splat.
The sound wasn’t particularly loud. But the intruders became stains on the ceiling, their entire bodies pulverized.
It was as if she had swatted a mosquito on a wall with the palm of her hand.
“My mistake. The ceiling got dirty.”
Joo Ha-yeon withdrew her mana. Only then did blood and flesh drip down from the ceiling.
Blood and tissue stained the floor. Watching the scene, Joo Ha-yeon spoke calmly.
“I killed them immediately since capturing them alive wouldn’t likely yield any useful information anyway.”
No one objected to Joo Ha-yeon’s words.
The display of power she had just shown was far too chilling.
“Ahem.”
Kwon Han-ul cleared his throat to draw attention.
“I’m curious what the Mansion’s security guards were doing while intruders got in like this.”
And he spoke in a calm but cold tone.
“Moreover, none of the people present here noticed either.”
Saying so, Kwon Han-ul looked at Lockbreaker. Lockbreaker’s face flushed red.
“Takamine Ryoko.”
“Yes?”
Kwon Han-ul didn’t spare a glance at Goriki Nana. He spoke only to Takamine Ryoko.
“I believe it would be best if our team handled the security of the Mansion until the succession ceremony. Would you permit this?”
His words were framed as a request, but they were nothing short of a declaration.
Takamine Ryoko answered Kwon Han-ul immediately.
“Yes, I would appreciate that.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————