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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter 95: War (3)
A cloudless, vivid blue sky.
A single black dot hovered in that expanse.
It was far too large to be a bird. More importantly, unlike a bird, it remained perfectly still in the air without flapping its wings.
A closer look revealed its true identity.
A man.
A man in a sharp black suit stood mid-air, gazing down at the ground.
— “Secretary Kim! The Santoru Family has been taken care of!”
“You did well. What’s the status with the Matos Family?”
— “Almost wrapped up on our end too~.”
“Pick up the pace. There are still plenty of families left.”
The man—Secretary Kim—continued giving orders while maintaining constant communication.
He didn’t need any electronic devices. His own skill was more than enough.
〈Karama’s Herald〉
A skill that allows communication with up to ten people simultaneously.
Though the number is limited, the range is practically infinite.
Unlike devices, it works even in areas with no signal.
In addition to that, Secretary Kim was using another skill:
〈Clairvoyance〉
A skill said to let the user see anywhere in the world.
While not literally all-seeing, he could easily observe the entirety of South America.
From the skies, Secretary Kim commanded Black Prey Unit, the team under Kwon Mi.
“Some of the remaining forces are retreating east. Pursue and annihilate them.”
Truthfully, it hardly counted as commanding.
The difference in strength between the Black Prey Unit and the cartels was not just overwhelming—it was absolute.
Secretary Kim’s role was merely to ensure that Black Prey could destroy more, faster.
— “Ah, right! Secretary Kim!”
A woman’s voice came through—Kim Ha-eun, who had just wiped out a family using her pad.
— “Is it true that Kwon Hanul volunteered to take on Jose del Pablo alone?”
— “Yeah, I heard that too. Isn’t that insanely dangerous?”
— “Exactly! Why didn’t Kwon Mi just let us handle it? Why agree to such a reckless request?”
The team began speaking over each other.
Karama’s Herald allowed them to communicate freely amongst themselves as long as the skill’s user served as the relay.
— “Kwon Mi specifically warned us about Jose del Pablo. He’s the only one she gave that kind of caution for.”
— “Seriously? That’s hard to believe…”
— “Same here. Is he really that strong?”
Amid all the speculation, Secretary Kim spoke up.
“Kwon Mi once calculated the outcome if Jose del Pablo clashed with the Black Prey. Want to hear it?”
— “Yes, please!”
— “Don’t keep us hanging—spill it!”
— “Now I’m curious too.”
Secretary Kim calmly delivered the verdict:
“One dies. Two have the advantage. Three win, guaranteed.”
The previously chatty group fell completely silent.
* * *
“Did you come alone?”
Jose del Pablo asked, facing Kwon Hanul. Hanul spread his arms.
“Can’t you tell by looking?”
“Have you gone mad?”
It wasn’t said to provoke. Jose was genuinely surprised.
“You seriously think you can take me on by yourself?”
“Why not? Is there a problem?”
“There’s a lot of problems. A lot.”
Grit.
Jose del Pablo ground his teeth. He looked visibly irritated.
“Is this what all Blood of Hyukcheon are like? So rude? Or did the infamy of ‘Hyukcheon’ blind you completely?”
His seething rage was almost tangible, the bloodlust riding on it suffocating.
A deadly sense of foreboding crawled across Hanul’s skin.
“I didn’t like you the moment I laid eyes on you.”
Jose raised his jagged sword. Aura enveloped the blade.
He swung it sideways—an aura slash tore through the air.
In that instant, the sea split in two, then rose violently.
The sheer power of it was terrifying.
“Let’s see if you’re truly worthy of that arrogance!”
* * *
Back on comms, the team voiced their disbelief.
— “This has to be a joke, right?”
— “A guy like that, out in some backwater, is that strong?”
— “It sounds made up… but if Kwon Mi said it, we can’t exactly deny it…”
The team could accept that one-on-one, Black Prey would lose.
But two only gaining the upper hand—and not a guaranteed win?
“That’s because all of Jose del Pablo’s stats are already at S-rank.”
Even one S-rank stat grants superhuman power. He had them all.
He had also mastered every skill and trait to maximize those stats.
And he could wield all of it flawlessly.
“His skill set is equally dangerous.”
〈Hands of Eight Directions〉
A simple concept: push and pull objects.
The catch—it works in every direction, granting limitless utility.
Offense, defense, mobility—it did it all.
“They say he once lifted a million tons of seawater into the air with that skill.”
Imagine using that force to crush or fling someone—no ordinary durability could survive it.
— “Still, raw stats and good skills alone don’t make someone strong.”
— “Exactly. How you use them is just as important.”
— “Training matters too. It’s the only way to reach your full potential.”
The team shared valid concerns. Secretary Kim replied flatly, “You all seem to forget who Jose del Pablo has killed.”
Two world-ranked hunters and one Pandemonium villain.
“Raul Phoenix. Heir to the globally recognized Phoenix Guild. A prodigy who made world rank in his mid-20s. Came to South America on vacation, picked a fight with Jose… and got his head blown off.”
Phoenix Guild threw a fit—but they backed down in the face of the Cartel.
“Ivan Lichteauer. Second son of a noble European house, on the cusp of reaching Triple Numbers. Came to buy a dungeon in South America, deal fell through, challenged Jose out of anger—was crushed to death.”
The Lichteauer family tried to seek revenge, but no one would take the job.
“Gremlin. A Pandemonium villain. He once killed every young man in a city in one night. Tried the same in South America—got beaten to death with Jose’s bare hands.”
Gremlin had no allies, so the world moved on.
These incidents proved one thing:
“Jose del Pablo is already on par with the world’s top hunters—maybe even Triple Numbers.”
The team murmured in disbelief. But they gradually accepted it.
The world was vast.
Sometimes, monsters like him appeared out of nowhere.
And really, weren’t the members of Black Prey all cut from the same cloth?
— “Wait… so Hanul seriously volunteered to take him on alone?”
— “Shouldn’t someone stop him?”
The chatter swelled. Then one voice said:
— “Isn’t he under the protection of the Witch of Hyukcheon? Should be fine, right?”
“She’s on a separate mission.”
— “…Why?”
“Kwon Hanul begged her. Said he’d handle Jose himself, and asked Joo Hayun to support Black Prey instead.”
The whole team was floored.
They were shocked that Joo Hayun actually agreed.
And even more shocked that Hanul truly intended to face Jose del Pablo alone.
— “Uh… this might sound bad, but… is Hanul suicidal?”
— “Maybe he’s got something up his sleeve?”
— “Even then, the gap’s too huge for any trick to work…”
Despite their protests, Secretary Kim spoke firmly, “Kwon Mi’s orders. No interference.”
— “But why?! That’s basically sending him to die!”
The team erupted.
— “Is she doing this for her son?”
“Enough. Keep talking nonsense, and I won’t let it slide.”
Secretary Kim’s cold warning froze the air.
“…Kwon Mi said this about Hanul: He always pulls off the impossible like it’s nothing.”
Those words made every Black Prey member recall what they’d heard about him.
The second Trueblood of Hyukcheon.
A man who’d repeatedly achieved the impossible.
“Kwon Mi believes in the potential of the Trueblood.”
* * *
“Ah, hold on.”
Suddenly, Kwon Hanul held up both palms.
The sudden move made Jose falter for a beat.
“What? If you’re thinking of begging for your life now—”
“That’s not it. There’s someone I need to check on.”
Hanul lowered his gaze and spotted GG lying at Jose’s feet.
“GG, are you still alive?”
Through the bloodied mess of his face, GG’s eyes widened in shock. Hanul smirked.
“Judging by your reaction, you’re not in critical condition.”
Jose frowned.
“So you do know each other.”
“Why not let him go before we fight?”
“Says who?”
Jose stomped on GG’s back. GG groaned in pain.
“I’ve got no intention of letting this bastard go.”
“No mercy, huh? You’ll regret that later.”
“More nonsense.”
“When you lose, you’ll be the one groveling on the ground. Imagine how embarrassing that’ll be.”
“…You’ve really lost your mind.”
Jose’s voice rose.
“I don’t know what you’re relying on, but you’d better quit while you’re ahead! Or I’ll mince your flesh piece by piece and—”
And then—he stopped.
He didn’t even know why.
Something about Kwon Hanul suddenly felt too dangerous.
“…It’s my first time trying this, so it’s hard to get a feel for it.”
An odd comment—but Jose didn’t have time to press.
Hanul’s aura had become downright alarming.
“Thanks for playing along with my nonsense. I needed the time.”
What is he doing?
A terrifying energy swelled and receded from Hanul’s body in waves.
“Ah, so that’s how it works.”
As if he’d realized something, Hanul let out a quiet “aha.”
Like a dormant volcano erupting, his magical power surged.
Something was going very, very wrong.
In reflex, Jose grabbed GG by the collar and lifted him.
“Kwon Hanul! Stop right now!”
He shouted, pressing a blade to GG’s neck.
“Take one more step, and I’ll cut his damn head off!”
He didn’t know what kind of connection they had.
But he was sure of one thing—he had to stop Hanul.
“I said STOP!!”
Jose roared.
And then, Kwon Hanul whispered:
“Dragon.”
Power began condensing around him. Black energy wrapped around his body like a cocoon.
〈Activating the power of ‘Sacred Beast Bloodline’〉
〈‘Black Dragon Bloodline’ reacts with ‘Sacred Beast Blood’!〉
〈Power of ‘Sacred Beast Blood’ is transforming!〉
〈The might of the Black Dragon manifests in this place!〉
〈Initiating partial avatar transformation!〉
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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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