Bloodline is Everything - Chapter 72

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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 72】

Chapter 72: Traitors (3)

“I’m joking.”
The murderous intent that had been swirling abruptly ceased. Maria Sanchez raised both hands in surrender. Her expanded body returned to its normal state.
“What are you doing now?”
Joo Ha-yeon remained vigilant. Maria Sanchez, as if to demonstrate sincerity, casually perched herself on the rooftop railing.
“All I was asked to do is keep you pinned down here. Fighting you on this rooftop doesn’t make financial sense.”
Maria Sanchez exhaled a long sigh.
“Besides, this is Heukcheon Group business, isn’t it? If I interfere, I’ll end up making enemies of the entire Heukcheon Group… Am I insane?”
Maria Sanchez patted the spot beside her repeatedly with her palm as she spoke.
“So you sit here and rest too.”
Joo Ha-yeon glared at Maria Sanchez intently.
I wanted nothing more than to rush down and help Kwon Han-ul. But if I did, Maria Sanchez would certainly not remain idle.
“Don’t entertain any foolish thoughts. You know as well as I do—you can’t beat me.”
“We could die together.”
“That’s true. But do we really need to do that here? It would just exhaust us both.”
Joo Ha-yeon withdrew her killing intent as well. Rather than sitting beside Maria Sanchez, I settled onto the railing across from her.
“Huh? You’re really going to stay put?”
“Would you prefer we fight?”
“I thought you’d be anxious and restless worrying about that man.”
“There’s no need to worry about Kwon Han-ul.”
“Ooh… overflowing with confidence. Are you hoping he’ll back down just from hearing the name Heukcheon?”
“That’s not it.”
“Good. Actually, Ferdrans despises high-ranking bloodline members with a passion.”
Maria Sanchez wore a pitying expression.
“He’s intelligent and reasonably skilled, but the moment he encounters high-ranking bloodline members, his thinking becomes shallow. He can’t make sound judgments. Your man might very well die.”
“That doesn’t seem to be your concern.”
Joo Ha-yeon spoke bluntly. Maria Sanchez’s expression turned unimpressed.
“I have one question. Why did Ferdrans attack the Takamine family? I can’t understand why he’d go to such lengths for a single relic.”
“Ah, that? It’s not actually about the relic. It’s about rebirth.”
Joo Ha-yeon’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Rebirth?”
“Ferdrans has been stagnant for a long time. So he was searching for a way to reach a higher realm, and that’s when he heard this proposal.”
Hunters can grow endlessly through their status windows.
Actually, this statement is flawed. Even with a status window, every hunter has a growth limit.
To put it simply, acquiring S-rank stats requires consuming a remarkable elixir.
However, not everyone can obtain such elixirs.
Those with exceptional skill might acquire them by clearing dangerous Dungeons, but those without such ability are doomed to stagnation forever.
In this way, every Hunter eventually reaches a point where no amount of effort can break through.
“That fool is truly dense. Obsessing over such things only prevents growth.”
Maria Sanchez sighed with pity.

* * *

Everyone reacted with disbelief at Kwon Hu-don’s declaration that he would not consume the poison.
“What nonsense! Didn’t you just hear? You’ll die if you don’t take this?”
Mark Griffin pressed Kwon Hu-don relentlessly.
“Could it be you’re afraid of consuming poison? This won’t hurt at all. As long as you take the antidote on time, you’ll be fine. Ferdrans said so himself.”
“I-it’s not about the poison.”
Kwon Hu-don trembled as he struggled to speak.
“I’m… I’m stupid.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Mark Griffin’s blunt agreement struck Kwon Hu-don momentarily, but he pressed on.
“I’m… I’m dull and… I disappoint Mother every day… but…”
Kwon Hu-don clenched his fists tightly.
“I’m… I’m still of the Heukcheon Bloodline.”
Therefore, I cannot yield. I cannot beg for my life. That was my choice.
“…Heh.”
Mark Griffin let out a hollow laugh.
“Such a silver tongue. So you’re saying you want to die right now?”
As he spoke, Mark Griffin unleashed his killing intent.
Though defeated by Ferdrans, Mark Griffin remained a world-ranked Hunter.
Exposed to his murderous aura, Kwon Hu-don felt as though his skin was being sliced open.
“Perfect. I’ve been irritated by your idiotic behavior more times than I can count. This opportunity…”
“Wait.”
At that moment, Ferdrans stopped Mark Griffin.
“Kwon Hu-don, was it? You have considerable resolve. Truly befitting a Pure-blooded Heukcheon member.”
Kwon Hu-don stared at him in confusion. It was strange to be praised by an enemy.
“Ah, so you’re not merely a Pure-blooded member? Your mother is Kwon Mi, the Heukcheon member who’s actually reasonable?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“A direct descendant of the Chairman, then. Now that I think about it, this is quite a significant catch.”
Ferdrans spoke to himself, answering his own questions with evident delight.
“Mark Griffin.”
“Yes.”
“Make sure to break this one’s will completely.”
Ferdrans pointed at Kwon Hu-don as he spoke.
“Make him crawl on the ground, begging me for his life. Force him to drink the poison himself. Do you understand?”
“Wouldn’t it be cleaner to just kill him that day….”
“Are you refusing to follow my orders?”
Ferdrans’ voice turned chillingly cold. Mark Griffin hastily shook his head.
“No, no! Listen, boss! You heard what he just said, right?”
Mark Griffin clenched his fists and approached Kwon Hu-don.
-Wait, stop!
At that moment, a voice emanated from the crystal necklace that Kwon Hu-don was wearing.
Ferdrans immediately recognized the face that appeared within the crystal. He spoke with a peculiar glint in his eyes.
“Kwon Mi. It’s an honor to meet you.”
-Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ferdrans.
Kwon Mi’s face visible through the crystal appeared remarkably composed. Yet her pallid complexion, her trembling voice—everything betrayed that it was merely an act.
-I understand the situation fully. Heukcheon will no longer interfere with you.
“Does that mean you’ll stand by and watch as I kill Takamine Ryoko?”
-Yes. In exchange, please just let Hu-don go. Let this child leave unharmed.
Ferdrans glanced at Takamine Ryoko.
Curiously enough, Takamine Ryoko showed no particular reaction upon hearing this.
-If you let Hu-don go, I will never forget this kindness.
“That’s quite an attractive proposal.”
Ferdrans spoke while gazing at Kwon Hu-don.
“But wouldn’t it be far more certain to simply administer a latent poison?”
At those words, Kwon Mi’s face went blank for a moment.
-You! Don’t you dare lay a finger on my son! I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth and kill you!
“Do as you please.
-Ferdrans!
Kwon Mi shouted, but it was futile. Mark Griffin was already approaching Kwon Hu-don.
-Hu-don! Just drink the poison for now!
As the situation took an ominous turn, Kwon Mi changed her mind.
-Do whatever you must, just stay alive! Then mother will definitely save you! Understand?
“…Mother, I’m sorry.”
-What are you saying! Don’t be foolish and listen to mother right now!
“You told me yourself. No matter what happens, never lose the pride of Heukcheon.”
At those words, Kwon Mi was left speechless.
It had merely been something she said to reassure Kwon Hu-don. She had never meant it seriously.
“So I won’t surrender.”
Black scales wrapped around Kwon Hu-don’s body. It was the Black Dragon Bloodline’s second ability—Black Scale Armor.
But the quantity was extraordinary.
Normally, Black Scale Armor consumed vast amounts of mana and was difficult to maintain. Therefore, most members of the Heukcheon Bloodline generated only portions of it for use.
But Kwon Hu-don covered his entire body in Black Scale Armor. It was as though he wore a suit of black armor.
“…Huh?”
Ferdrans let out a short exclamation of admiration.
“Now that I think about it, isn’t he not a typical Pure-blooded Clan Member?”
Everyone from Heukcheon possessed the Black Dragon Bloodline.
However, the power one could obtain through the Black Dragon Bloodline was not equal across the board.
It wasn’t a matter of blood purity. Even within the same purity level, clear disparities existed. And among them were those who showed exceptional aptitude for specific abilities.
Kwon Hu-don was one such person.
He possessed an extraordinary innate talent specifically for the Black Scale Armor—its performance, duration, and the quantity he could generate.
He surpassed any Pure-blooded Clan Member.
“Here he comes.”
Kwon Hu-don moved. His charge, clad in Black Scale Armor, resembled nothing so much as a small tank.
“Mark Griffin, fall back. I need to see what the others can do.”
Ferdrans issued the command. Mark Griffin withdrew, and the other team members stepped forward.
“Captain, you’re really going to fight us?”
“What if you get a nosebleed?”
Kwon Hu-don’s teammates were too busy mocking him.
Having watched him up close, they knew all too well how cowardly and pathetic he truly was.
“I wanted to land a cool hit at least once.”
A teammate wielding a massive hammer stepped forward. With all his strength, he swung the hammer at the charging Kwon Han-ul.
And he himself went flying backward.
“Huh?”
“What?”
The teammates’ faces went blank for a moment. They all panicked and retreated.
“W-wait!”
“S-scatter!”
Kwon Hu-don plowed straight through as if his teammates didn’t exist. Those he collided with went flying in all directions like bowling pins.
“Pathetic weaklings.”
Ferdrans wore an expression of disdain. He spoke to the Homunculi.
“You’ll have to take this one.”
One of the Homunculi lunged at Kwon Hu-don. Simultaneously, it threw a punch.
The Homunculus’s fist struck Kwon Hu-don. In that instant, the basement trembled.
For the first time, Kwon Hu-don’s movement halted. But it was only momentary.
“Uuuaaagh!”
Kwon Hu-don roared and stamped the ground again. His body exploded forward with devastating force, hurling the Homunculus away.
“….”
Ferdrans’s expression turned incredulous. The destructive power exceeded his expectations.
“What are Kwon Hu-don’s ability stats?”
“Only his magical power is S-rank.”
“Then where is that level of strength coming from….”
Mid-sentence, Ferdrans understood.
The Black Scale Armor.
I wasn’t merely using the Black Scale Armor as a defensive tool. I had made it flow like muscle tissue, amplifying my charging force several times over.
“I should call it an enhanced exoskeleton rather than armor.”
Kwon Hu-don drove the Homunculi forward, closing the distance to Ferdrans. The moment I drew near, I unleashed the Dragon Fighting Technique.
“Uaaaaaah!”
I wrapped my body in the Dragon Fighting Technique. Combined with Kwon Hu-don’s charging force, it became an attack no different from a missile.
But.
Mark Griffin moved. He hurled both fists simultaneously toward Kwon Hu-don.
A violent explosion struck Kwon Hu-don’s body. The Black Scale Armor shattered into fragments.
“Aagh!”
The explosion that destroyed the Black Scale Armor consumed Kwon Hu-don as well. I screamed and flew backward.
My body tumbled across the ground.
“Cough, cough….”
I coughed incessantly. Yet the pain refused to fade.
The impact of the explosion had charred my entire skin black as coal. My abdomen, where the fists had connected, was a bloody mess as though crushed in a mortar.
“Seems I went a bit overboard with my restraint.”
Mark Griffin looked down at Kwon Hu-don and sneered.
“But I’m disappointed. A member of the Heukcheon Bloodline knocked out in a single blow? Is your leader trash? Or are the rumors just exaggerated?”
Kwon Hu-don struggled to lift his head. He looked toward Mark Griffin and asked.
“Why… exactly….”
It was a question laden with meaning. Why did you betray so easily? And how can you strike without hesitation?
But Mark Griffin didn’t answer. Instead, he kicked Kwon Hu-don’s abdomen. I flew until my back hit the wall behind me.
“Why? You ask why?”
Mark Griffin was irritated. As if asking such a stupid question.
“What’s the point of asking something so pathetic?”
Mark Griffin took a step forward. As he approached, Kwon Hu-don continued to writhe in agony, clawing at the floor.
“Boss, stop spouting useless words and choose quickly. Will you die beaten by me here? Or….”
Mark Griffin spread both arms wide. The Homunculi and his teammates came into view.
“Will you swallow the poison like those bastards and obey my commands?”
Kwon Hu-don clenched his teeth. I forced myself up and clenched both fists.
Mark Griffin let out a hollow laugh.
“My, what an admirably upright character you have. Huh?”
Mark Griffin threw a punch at Kwon Hu-don’s face. I took the hit and staggered backward. But the wall behind me prevented any further retreat.
“I’ll ask again. Will you drink it? Or won’t you!”
Mark Griffin began pummeling Kwon Hu-don’s body relentlessly. Cornered against the wall, I could only take the blows.
“Make a decision!”
Mark Griffin’s punch struck Kwon Hu-don’s temple. My eyes rolled back and my body collapsed to the ground.
“Cough, cough….”
I coughed intermittently. My face, youthful enough to be mistaken for a teenager’s, had become a bloody mess.
“Still won’t listen? Huh?”
Even seeing that face, Mark Griffin didn’t stop. He continued his assault, viciously kicking Kwon Hu-don’s torso.
But Kwon Hu-don refused to give Mark Griffin the answer he sought.
“This is less entertaining than I expected.”
Ferdrans muttered in a disinterested tone. Nomura Masataka, standing beside him, asked him a question.
“How much longer do we wait? Kill Takamine Ryoko already.”
“She’s already caught in the trap. What are you so afraid of?”
“Listen here!”
“Yes, understood.”
Ferdrans approached Takamine Ryoko with an annoyed expression.
He could have ordered the Homunculus to do it, but since she was an important target, he wanted to kill her himself.
“Miss Takamine Ryoko.”
Takamine Ryoko shifted her gaze. Her face appeared serene.
Ferdrans’s eyebrows twitched slightly. He disliked how composed she remained even as death loomed before her.
“Miss Takamine. You will die now.”
So despite knowing it was pointless, he provoked Takamine Ryoko.
“It seems that way.”
“Are you not afraid?”
“I am afraid.”
“Your demeanor suggests otherwise.”
“Showing it won’t change anything.”
Ferdrans found this woman appealing yet infuriating at the same time.
He liked that she remained composed despite knowing death was coming. But he disliked that she was composed even toward him.
He wanted to strip away this mask of hers by any means.
“If you wish, I could instead kill the hospital director and that woman for you.”
Ferdrans spoke in a suggestive tone.
After all, while a person might transcend death itself, they can never transcend hope for life.
He had no doubt that this single statement would reveal Takamine Ryoko’s true feelings.
But.
“That’s not necessary.”
Takamine Ryoko rejected his offer far too easily.
“…Not necessary?”
“I don’t need your help. He’ll be here soon.”
He?
A question mark appeared on Ferdrans’s face.
In this situation, who could possibly come to save this woman?

* * *

“No! No, please!”
At the headquarters of the Heukcheon Group.
Kwon Mi was screaming there.
“Hu-don! No! Hu-don!”
In the crystal sphere placed on the desk, I could see my son being beaten mercilessly.
“I, I have to stop this!”
But stop whom?
With all my team members having betrayed me, who could possibly help my son?
“…Kwon Han-ul.”
I frantically grabbed the phone and called Kwon Han-ul.
Fortunately, the call connected immediately.
“Y-yes!”
I cried out urgently.
-Aunt, I believe you’ve dialed the wrong number. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear this call.
My instincts screamed a warning. I quickly shouted.
“D-don’t hang up! I, I didn’t dial wrong! I meant to call you!”
Then came a questioning voice.
-You didn’t dial wrong?
“There’s no time for this! Hu, Hu-don is! Hu-don is in danger!”
-What do you mean by that….
“Mark Griffin, that bastard… he’s doing something to Hu-don….”
Tears burst forth. I spoke while forcibly holding them back.
“If this continues, my Hu-don will die!”
The other end of the line fell silent. There was no time to wonder what he was thinking.
“I, I’ll tell you where Hu-don is! Ferdrans is there too! You absolutely cannot go alone! You must go with Ha-yeon….”
-How do you know all of that, Aunt?
His voice was as cold as an ice pick.
In that moment, I realized I had stepped on a landmine.
“That is….”
-Answer me first. How do you know? Surely Hu-don didn’t call and tell you in the midst of all this.
I had no choice but to tell him everything.
Under normal circumstances, I would have found a way to evade the question. But with Kwon Hu-don’s life in danger, I couldn’t afford such luxury.
After hearing everything, Kwon Han-ul let out a hollow laugh.
-So you’ve been watching everything using that artifact?
“Yes….”
-Then you must have also known that Mark Griffin ignored my orders and acted on his own? Yet you didn’t stop him?
“H-Han-ul, that was….”
-Now that I think about it, Kwon Hu-don participating in this mission was something you ordered, wasn’t it? But I never expected you to interfere with my plans as well.
Under normal circumstances, I would have shouted back at such nonsense.
But with my child’s life on the line, I couldn’t afford such a response.
“I’m… I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Please, just spare Hu-don… at least spare Hu-don…”
-I cannot do that.
Kwon Han-ul’s refusal was absolute.
“H-Han-ul… what are you saying?”
-Think about what you’ve done to me. Why should I grant your request after everything I’ve suffered?
“I was wrong. Yes, I was wrong, but Hu-don is innocent. It’s all my fault.”
-I’m ending this call.
“Wait! Just wait!”
Click. The line went dead. Kwon Mi let out a scream.
“No. No. No!”
Kwon Mi called again. He didn’t answer.
She called once more. Still no answer.
“Please, please!”
Yet Kwon Mi continued calling like a madwoman.
Then, suddenly, the call connected. Kwon Han-ul’s curt voice came through the receiver.
-Stop calling. You’re being annoying.
“Han-ul! I’m begging you! Please…!”
-I’m busy. I’m hanging up now.
Despair washed over Kwon Mi’s face. Then, his final words pierced through her ear.
-I’m busy because I need both my hands right now.
Both his hands?
Confusion bloomed in Kwon Mi’s mind. Immediately after, a deafening roar erupted from the phone.

* * *

I stopped Mark Griffin’s punches.
My instincts screamed a warning. I couldn’t explain why. Just an inexplicable sense of dread washed over me.
“…What?”
Mark Griffin lifted his head and stared at the ceiling. In the next instant, a tremendous impact shook the Secret Shelter.
“What, what is this?”
The sound of something crumbling echoed through the space. Followed immediately by a deafening boom.
Not just once. It came in rapid succession. The sound grew louder.
No, it wasn’t getting louder.
“It’s getting closer….”
Before I could finish speaking, the entrance to the Staircase shattered. Thick stone fragments scattered in all directions.
“Phew.”
Someone walked through the debris.
“Everyone’s gathered here, I see.”
Kwon Han-ul surveyed the faces of everyone present.
“I don’t recognize you. You must be Ferdrans?”
“Quite the imaginative fellow. You’ve got a good eye.”
Ferdrans examined Kwon Han-ul with an intrigued expression.
“How did you find this place?”
“Ah, I’ll answer questions later.”
Kwon Han-ul turned his body. He fixed his gaze on Mark Griffin.
“What are you staring at?”
Mark Griffin scowled and spat out a single word.
Without warning, Kwon Han-ul burst forward and threw a punch. His fist connected squarely with Mark Griffin’s jaw.
The impact snapped Mark Griffin’s head to the side. His legs buckled beneath him.
In that brief moment, Kwon Han-ul shifted into another stance.
Mystical Dragon Ascending Heaven Art—Basic Form
Resonant Strike—Spiral Wave
Kwon Han-ul’s fist drove deep into Mark Griffin’s abdomen.
“Gaahhh!”
A strangled cry escaped Mark Griffin’s lips. But it wasn’t over.
The released dragon energy sent Mark Griffin and the wall flying. The wall collapsed, burying his body beneath the rubble.
Kwon Han-ul wiped the sweat from his brow with a satisfied expression.
“Now that feels refreshing.”

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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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