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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter 141: Invitation (1)
Western Pacific.
Normally, this vast expanse of ocean and sky was only inhabited by clouds, the sea, and the occasional airplane. But now, a colossal disc floated mid-air.
Strangely, despite the sheer size of the object seemingly blocking the sky, sunlight still poured down over the ocean undisturbed. It was as if the light passed straight through the disc.
— “There it is, do you see it? That giant circular structure ahead is the Sky Arena!”
A black helicopter circled the floating disc. Inside, a female reporter, microphone in hand, enthusiastically relayed her report.
— “You may not be able to see it with the naked eye, but the Sky Arena is surrounded by a barrier—meant to keep intruders out.”
What she was saying wasn’t new; by now, most people were already aware of these facts.
That’s how famous the Sky Arena had become—one of the most anticipated and widely broadcasted global events.
— “See the ships down below? Each one is carrying Hunters, all gathered here to participate in the Sky Arena.”
In truth, not every vessel carried Hunters.
Some were cruise ships ferrying spectators eager to witness the event up close.
— “You can see the insignias of powerful guilds and noble families. As expected of the Sky Arena.”
Large guilds and established clans had brought their own ships. Those with fewer resources had purchased transport from travel agencies running cruise services.
— “Ah! Over there! Zoom in!”
The reporter pointed to a particular ship. The cameraman quickly refocused.
— “That’s a vessel belonging to the Hyukcheon Group! They recently made headlines by wiping out both the Mei family and the South American cartel.”
The Hyukcheon ship was notably massive, commanding presence by sheer size alone.
— “And the bloodline representative entering the Arena on behalf of Hyukcheon is none other than Kwon Hanul—whose achievements are almost unbelievable…”
* * *
“I hope Hanul is safe…”
Aboard the Hyukcheon ship, in a luxurious lounge, Kwon Hudon let out a deep sigh.
It had already been over a week since Kwon Hanul went missing. The mere thought of what kind of hardship he might be enduring caused another sigh to escape him.
“And the Chairman just keeps telling us to wait…”
Right after Hanul disappeared, they had contacted the main house, assuming the family would immediately help rescue him.
But instead:
— “Wait at the location of the Sky Arena.”
That was Kwon Seonwoo’s order. He didn’t want word of Hanul’s disappearance getting out, so he kept the team in a holding pattern.
As a result, they'd spent over a week doing nothing but waiting on this ship.
“Ugh…”
Hudon sighed again, glancing toward Joo Hayun and Mei Hong. The two women sat at a table, deep in conversation.
“I’ve done some digging—Hyukcheon’s intelligence division believes it was the Blaga family that kidnapped him.”
“The Blagas? Those con artists? You’re saying they’re behind this?”
“The bigger issue is, the Chairman doesn’t seem intent on launching a rescue. I think we’ll have to take matters into our own hands.”
“I agree. But no one knows where the Blagas are hiding, do they?”
“I’ve gathered a few leads…”
“Um… excuse me…”
Hudon hesitantly called out. Both women turned to him simultaneously—radiating an intimidating aura.
“What are you two planning…?”
“We’re preparing a rescue mission for Kwon Hanul.”
“That’s right. We can’t just sit back anymore.”
Hudon swallowed hard. What they were saying made sense—but disobeying the Chairman’s orders was a serious move.
“W-What about Gael? What does he think?”
Hudon looked over at Gael Garcia, who sat cross-legged on the carpet in meditation. At Hudon’s question, Gael slowly opened his eyes.
“I agree with Ms. Joo and Ms. Mei.”
He said it without a shred of hesitation.
“B-But the Chairman might be furious…”
“My loyalty lies with Kwon Hanul.”
Gael’s words were resolute, and Hudon felt deeply moved.
“…You’re right.”
Hudon finally made up his mind. Truth be told, he had wanted to go rescue Hanul all along—he just hadn’t had the courage.
“Let’s bring Hanul back.”
His voice was firm.
Just then, a thudding noise rang out from above, followed by blaring alarms.
“Looks like we’ve got an intruder,” Joo Hayun said coldly, a sharp gleam in her eyes.
Since Hanul’s abduction, Hayun had been on edge, constantly bristling with hostility.
“Whoever dares trespass on Hyukcheon’s domain… they’ll be made an example of.”
Although there were guards on board, Hayun stood, intent on handling the situation personally.
“I’ll cover the deck,” Mei Hong said, grabbing her sword. Seeing the deadly intent in both women, Hudon shivered.
Then it happened.
The blaring alarm suddenly fell silent.
Just as confusion spread, the door burst open and someone casually walked in.
“Whew… that was rough.”
The intruder strolled in as if he owned the place.
“Long time no see, everyone. I trust you’ve all been well?”
He even greeted them nonchalantly—then headed straight to the water dispenser, downing a full cup in one go.
Everyone stood in stunned silence, staring at the intruder.
It wasn’t until he finished drinking that he noticed their gaping expressions.
“Why are you all looking at me like that…?”
“Hanul?!”
“Kwon Hanul?!”
“Captain?!”
“You’re back!”
One after another, they called his name. Hanul blinked in surprise.
“What happened? How did you get here?!”
“Tell us everything right now!”
“A-Are you hurt, Hanul?”
The four of them bombarded him with questions.
“Okay, okay—calm down…”
Hanul raised his hands, trying to settle them.
“So, here’s what happened…”
* * *
“…And that’s how it went.”
Hanul explained the situation—but not the full truth. His dual bloodlines remained a closely guarded secret, even from his team.
So he stuck to the version scripted by Catalina Blaga.
“Catalina Blaga must be insane. To lay a hand on someone from the Hyukcheon bloodline… especially a Trueblood like you, Kwon Hanul!”
Joo Hayun’s brow twitched—barely containing her fury.
Though, in truth, that wasn’t what angered her most.
“And on top of that, Kwon Chan-seong tried to kill you? That had to be on Kwon Hyuk’s orders. What the hell is he thinking?”
A member of the Hyukcheon bloodline, holding the position of vice-chairman, had tried to kill one of their own.
To Hayun, whose loyalty to Hyukcheon ran deep, this was unforgivable.
“Th-This is bad… R-Really bad. Your own uncle tried to kill you…”
Hudon looked pale. A crisis on this scale was unimaginable.
“No, wait… Once the Chairman hears about this, he won’t let it slide. Even if it’s your uncle…”
His voice trailed off as he caught sight of Hayun’s expression.
“If the Chairman finds out, of course he’ll punish someone. But…”
Joo Hayun, who had served Hyukcheon for years, knew better than most—
Kwon Hyuk was meticulous. Cunning. Always prepared.
“He plans for every outcome. This time won’t be any different.”
“I agree with Hayun,” Hanul said. Even Catalina Blaga had warned him: Kwon Hyuk wouldn’t go down easily.
“Th-Then what do we do…?”
Hudon gulped. That’s when Mei Hong chimed in.
“Hudon oppa, why worry? Captain made it back alive, didn’t he?”
“Y-Yeah, but only because of Catalina Blaga…”
“Still, he’s fine now. That’s all that matters.”
“I feel the same,” Gael added. “The Captain has incredible luck.”
With both of them so confident, Hudon had no choice but to fall silent.
“Anyway, I’m just glad to see everyone again,” Hanul said with a genuine smile.
Back when he was locked away by the Blagas, the people he’d missed most were his teammates.
“M-Me too, Hanul.”
“Glad you're safe.”
“What a relief.”
Each of them offered a heartfelt word. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Hanul scratched his cheek.
“Oh—Kwon Hanul. This arrived while you were gone.”
Just then, Joo Hayun pulled out a letter from a subspace pocket.
“A letter?” Hanul asked, taking it with curiosity.
In an age of social media, a physical letter—sealed with wax, no less—was rare.
“It’s an invitation from the Babel family.”
The moment he heard the name Babel, Hanul’s demeanor shifted.
The Babel family.
One of the very few clans in the world that could stand on equal footing with the Hyukcheon bloodline.
If Hyukcheon carried the blood of dragons, then Babel bore the blood of true dragons—dragons in the Western sense.
“They’re hosting a party to help the Sky Arena participants get acquainted.”
Hanul turned the letter over in his hands.
But surely there was another motive. Most likely, they wanted to gather and evaluate the competition.
“What will you do? Decline?” Hayun asked.
Hanul considered it.
It wasn’t a bad offer. He didn’t like the idea of Babel sizing him up—but it was a good chance for him to size up the other participants, too.
‘And I might have a shot at acquiring Dragonheart Bloodline.’
It was a Babel-hosted event. Naturally, their bloodline members would be present. That meant a chance to obtain their unique lineage, Dragonheart Bloodline..
Dragonheart Bloodline wasn’t just symbolic.
All Babel bloodline members possessed a version of the Dragonheart thanks to it.
Granted, it wasn’t a true Dragonheart. Impure or diluted bloodlines produced weaker versions. Even purebloods couldn’t match the original.
But Hanul’s version? Would be from a Trueblood. A real Dragonheart might be within reach.
“This invitation…”
He suddenly noticed Hudon and Gael watching him closely, eyes filled with… hopeful pressure.
“Something you want to say?”
“Well… uh…” Hudon scratched his head awkwardly. “I-I was wondering if maybe I could tag along… n-not for any big reason or anything, just that all the famous Hunters will be there…”
It seemed Hudon just wanted to meet his idols in person.
“What about you, Gael?”
“Well… I’ve never been to a party before…” Gael admitted, a bit bashful.
With his natural curiosity, he was clearly interested in seeing what a high-society party hosted by a noble clan would be like.
Hanul let out a crooked smile.
With both of them looking like that, how could he say no?
“Alright. Let’s all attend together.”
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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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