Bloodline is Everything-Chapter 42

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

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Chapter 42: Keeping Promises (3)

Bloodline of the Vassal

This is a bloodline ability possessed by the Blaga family, granting them the power to dominate others.

Because this power is overwhelmingly strong, members of the Blaga bloodline are widely feared and avoided.

The power manifested through Kwon Hanul's authority.

The ‘Bloodline of the Vassal’ draws living beings to you.

Magical energy infused with the authority of the Bloodline of the Vassal began radiating in all directions.

As the saying goes, "It’s darkest under the lamp"—from the nearby ground, two Mud Trolls burst forth, clawing their way up.

Watching the two trolls, Kwon Hanul smiled.

“Bloodline supremacy really is OP.”

* * *

‘What on earth is Lady Catalina Blaga thinking?’

As he darted through the forest, Ruyn Aspadam was plagued by this tormenting question.

Catalina Blaga had come here for one reason only—to seduce and dominate Kwon Hanul.

Her presence here was no coincidence either. Catalina had deliberately orchestrated this meeting to establish a connection, no matter what.

Up to that point, everything made sense.

Catalina was well-known for her tendency to “collect” people she found appealing—earning her the nickname Human Collector.

The problem lay in her demeanor.

‘She’s acting different than usual. Something’s off.’

Having served by her side for years, Ruyn immediately sensed the shift.

Catalina’s interest—and obsession—with Kwon Hanul was far beyond excessive.

Since returning from the Delos Auction House, she had spoken of nothing but Kwon Hanul.

And it wasn’t just words—she began gathering every piece of information about him.

It’s hard to pinpoint, but… she’s acting like a girl with a crush.

Even as he made the comparison, Ruyn could only let out a hollow laugh.

A crush? A girl?

Despite her youthful appearance, Catalina had lived a very long life.

Could she have spent countless nights alone?

Far from it. Sometimes with one, sometimes with dozens.

Why, of all people… that guy?

Was it because Kwon Hanul had resisted her seduction?

Such cases weren’t unheard of. Due to the complexity of the human mind, there were rare individuals who managed to resist Catalina’s allure.

But in the end, even they surrendered to Lady Catalina.

Kwon Hanul was a rarity—he resisted despite his young age and undeveloped abilities.

But Ruyn’s confusion stemmed from something else.

Despite past examples, Catalina’s obsession with Kwon Hanul was irrational—almost abnormal.

Damn it.

Every time Catalina spoke of Kwon Hanul, Ruyn’s mouth went dry and his gut twisted in agony.

There’s nothing more painful than hearing the name of another man from the lips of the one you love.

‘And a wager? Without even consulting me?’

Catalina often used her subordinates in her “collections,” but never once had she involved Ruyn. To that extent, she treated him as special.

Yet today, she issued him a command.

Crack.

His teeth clenched involuntarily. Was she saying he was inferior to Kwon Hanul?

Given the situation, there was only one thing Ruyn could do.

Win—decisively and overwhelmingly.

And prove it to Catalina Blaga.

The true worth of the man she loved—and just how insignificant Kwon Hanul really was.

“Found one!”

Ruyn shouted as he descended, slamming his fist into the ground.

A massive shockwave shattered the earth. Instead of dirt and gravel, blood and flesh exploded outward.

Graaaah!

A Mud Troll, its body utterly pulverized, let out a death cry.

Tearing off the troll’s horn, Ruyn set off to find his next prey.

“Too easy. Way too easy.”

Ruyn’s speed was S-rank.

Without using any skills, he could sweep half the forest in the time it takes to sip tea.

At this rate, finding Mud Trolls wouldn’t be an issue at all.

‘What kind of gift should I ask for from Lady Catalina when I’m done here?’

Pondering happily, Ruyn raced off through the forest again.

But soon, he hit a wall.

“…Why can’t I find any?”

After killing the first Mud Troll, no matter how much he scoured the forest, not a single other troll appeared.

“Did I miss one somehow?”

Retracing his steps yielded nothing.

“…Damn it.”

What he’d thought would be an easy wager now felt crushing.

If Kwon Hanul managed to kill more trolls at this rate—

He could lose all of Catalina’s favor.

‘With a skill, I could comb through this dungeon multiple times…!’

But Ruyn shook his head, banishing the thought.

His pride wouldn’t allow him to use skills against someone with A-rank stats.

That bastard doesn’t even warrant a skill!

And so, Ruyn resumed his hunt.

* * *

Kwon Hanul roamed the forest, dominating Mud Trolls one by one.

‘Just as I researched—Gold-ranked monsters are easy to control.’

After acquiring the Bloodline of the Vassal, he thoroughly researched it.

Luckily, the archives of the Hyukcheon Clan had detailed records on both the Blaga family and the Bloodline of the Vassal.

Even the lowest-tier blood could dominate Gold-ranked monsters.

Considering that clearing a Gold-ranked dungeon usually required three top-tier Hunters, this bloodline was absurdly powerful.

Warm-bloods can dominate up to Platinum rank, pure-bloods can control Diamond-ranked monsters…

Beyond rank, another key difference was the number of monsters they could control at once.

Low-tier: up to 3 Gold monsters. Warm-blood: 5. Pure-blood: 7.

The number of Mud Trolls under Kwon Hanul’s control?

Way too many.

The trolls gathered around him easily numbered over ten.

All were trolls he had dominated while exploring the dungeon.

‘Am I supposed to kill all these one by one?’

Kwon Hanul sighed, looking annoyed.

If only they’d just kill themselves—it’d be so much easier.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

The strongest instinct of any living being is the will to survive. Not even the Bloodline of the Vassal could override that and force a creature to commit suicide—

Screeeee!

Skrreeeee!

Suddenly, shrill cries erupted. The Mud Trolls began slamming their heads against trees or strangling themselves—committing suicide en masse.

Within minutes, all the trolls were dead.

Surrounded by the thick stench of blood, Kwon Hanul clicked his tongue.

“Ugh.”

Just then, a wave of dizziness slammed into him.

-You have exhausted all mental energy. The activity of ‘Bloodline of the Vassal’ has ceased.

A brutal dizziness and searing pain assaulted his head.

It was a kind of pain he had never experienced before.

Staggering repeatedly, Kwon Hanul finally collapsed to the ground.

“Urgh.”

Kwon Hanul clutched his head, waiting for the pain to subside.

Who knew how much time had passed.

Only after the pain dulled to a bearable level did Kwon Hanul push himself up again.

“This Bloodline... it's impressive, but not something I can use often.”

If Black Dragon Bloodline and Shura Bloodline consumed mana, then Vassal Bloodline seemed to drain mental energy.

The pain that came when his mind was exhausted was beyond anything he had imagined.

The headache had only lessened, not vanished. On top of that, nausea began to set in.

Kwon Hanul decided to revise his plans a little.

“…Let’s take a break first.”

With that, he collapsed onto the grass and was asleep in moments.

* * *

Four hours had passed, just as promised.

The sun was beginning to set. The blue sky was now bathed in hues of twilight.

Everyone waiting outside the dungeon gate kept their eyes fixed on it, anticipating Kwon Hanul and Ruyn Aspadam’s return.

“That idiot.”

Kwon Jiseok suddenly muttered under his breath. Only Joo Hayun, standing beside him, caught the words.

“Please don’t speak carelessly about Lord Hanul.”

“How can I not say something? Why the hell did he agree to such a reckless wager? His opponent is Ruyn Aspadam! There’s no way he can win!”

Joo Hayun frowned, glaring at Kwon Jiseok.

‘If you really wanted to place blame, wasn’t it Kwon Jiseok’s fault for falling head over heels for Catalina Blaga and doing nothing to stop this?’

Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Kwon Jiseok let out a gruff cough.

“I don’t know what spell I was under earlier… Anyway, the point is, he should never have accepted this bet! If he loses to Ruyn Aspadam, the humiliation will be enormous! You should’ve stopped him!”

“I serve Lord Hanul. I can offer advice, but I would never dare to restrict his actions.”

Her firm reply left Kwon Jiseok at a loss for words.

But there was something else that unsettled him.

“Serve him? You really intend to stay under his command?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Think carefully. You’re wasting yourself on someone like him—”

Kwon Jiseok abruptly cut himself off.

“…I mean, he’s got some skill, I’ll give him that. But still, you don’t belong there.”

Joo Hayun glanced at him. His face was filled with hesitation.

“He did show some prowess when we fought the Mei Clan. But as someone with True Blood, that should be the bare minimum.”

Kwon Jiseok continued grumbling.

Joo Hayun was quietly surprised. This was the first time Kwon Jiseok had acknowledged Kwon Hanul’s abilities.

And more than that, wasn’t his attitude now one of concern?

“As expected, you are a member of the Hyukcheon.”

“What kind of obvious statement is that?”

Joo Hayun didn’t bother elaborating.

Those of the Hyukcheon Clan had fierce pride. They didn’t acknowledge others easily.

But in the end, they couldn’t help but be drawn to strength.

Just like Kwon Jiseok had grudgingly acknowledged Kwon Hanul.

“Are you even listening?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“What?”

Just as Kwon Jiseok was about to erupt again, the dungeon gate began to ripple.

Someone was coming out.

All eyes turned to it. Soon, Ruyn Aspadam emerged.

“Ruyn’s out first!”

Catalina Blaga clapped her hands with childlike glee. Ruyn Aspadam’s lips curled in satisfaction, as if he’d been waiting for that reaction.

Ruyn Aspadam approached, his eyes only on Catalina Blaga. Kneeling before her, he extended his hands.

“One, two, three… Seven in total? You’ve done well.”

“For Lady Catalina, this was nothing at all.”

His voice dripped with confidence. He clearly believed victory was his.

“Hayun, seven of them… is that a lot or not?”

“Finding dormant Mud Trolls is extremely difficult. Even experienced hunters have very low success rates.”

“So is it a lot or not!”

“…You could say it’s a lot.”

At her words, Kwon Jiseok’s face stiffened.

Then, once again, the dungeon gate shimmered. A moment later, Kwon Hanul stepped through.

“Ah, I’m a bit late.”

Kwon Jiseok and Joo Hayun rushed over to him.

“Hey! The horns! How many horns did you get!”

Everyone’s attention was now on Kwon Hanul. He blinked and replied, “I didn’t bring any.”

Kwon Jiseok smacked his forehead. Joo Hayun closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. Others from the Hyukcheon sighed as well.

“Little Dragon, no matter how embarrassed you are, you should at least be honest.”

Ruyn Aspadam’s voice oozed with smugness, his face full of a victor’s grin.

“You didn’t bring them because you couldn’t. You didn’t manage to slay even a single Mud Troll.”

Annoyance flickered across Kwon Hanul’s face. He spoke, clearly uninterested in arguing.

“My head’s still killing me. Don’t talk nonsense.”

“…What did you say?”

Kwon Hanul turned to Kwon Jiseok, pointing toward the dungeon.

“Send someone to clean it up. Just head east inside, and you’ll find them. Bring the horns separately.”

“W-What?”

“I was going to do it myself, but I’m too tired right now.”

With that, Kwon Hanul collapsed under the shade of a tree.

The situation was so absurd that no one knew what to say.

“Clean what up?”

Grumbling, Kwon Jiseok stepped into the dungeon gate. Others followed him.

They walked a little in the direction Kwon Hanul indicated—and stopped in disbelief.

The ground was littered with the corpses of Mud Trolls, creatures they’d struggled to find even one of.

Kwon Jiseok and the others stood in stunned silence.

Only after a long pause did someone finally speak.

“…What the hell is this?”

It was Ruyn Aspadam. His face was one of utter disbelief.

“All of this… how…?”

Anyone could see there were at least twice as many corpses as the seven Ruyn Aspadam had brought back.

Had there been a chieftain among them, Kwon Hanul’s victory would’ve been completely overwhelming.

“…This can’t be happening.”

Ruyn Aspadam stumbled forward, mumbling in a daze.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

“I barely managed seven… How could he… this many… This is impossible…”

His voice trembled violently.

And then—

“…Hah.”

A heavy sigh, like molten chocolate, echoed in the air. Everyone turned toward the source.

At some point, Catalina Blaga had entered the dungeon.

She clutched her mouth with one hand, her eyes glaring at the Mud Trolls with a twisted intensity.

“I knew it. I want him.”

Greed began to smolder in Catalina Blaga’s eyes.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

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