[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 185: Treasure Hunt (4)

It was as if a bomb had gone off.

Mohammad Chamkani was utterly shocked, and Bobo's eyes widened to the point of bulging.

“H-Hey! Watch your mouth. This guy’s ranked 56th in the world, you know…”

“As expected from a descendant of Hyukcheon.”

Bobo stepped forward, his muscles twitching in fury.

“Cocky bastards. Reeking of confidence and arrogance. Just like the damned Hyukcheon bloodline.”

“H-Hey, Bobo…”

Chamkani tried to stop him, but seeing the murderous look on Bobo’s face, he had no choice but to back off.

“General, please step aside. From this point on, this is between me and this kid.”

Bobo took another step forward. He was much larger in stature, glaring down at Kwon Hanul as he growled in a low voice.

“Young dragon of Hyukcheon… can you stand by the words you've just spoken?”

“What a useless question.”

Kwon Hanul was now speaking informally, meeting Bobo’s provocation with amused contempt.

“I’ve never said anything I couldn’t take responsibility for.”

A grin spread across Bobo’s face, his white teeth gleaming.

“That’s the kind of answer I like.”

Immediately after, Bobo’s fist drove into Kwon Hanul’s abdomen.

Just before Bobo swung, Kwon Hanul had already read his movements.

The subtle killing intent, the shift in Bobo’s muscles revealed through Shura Bloodline, and the instincts of the Black Dragon’s Bloodline made it all possible.

‘This is such a bother.’

He found himself thinking that—and was honestly surprised by it.

He was facing a double-number world ranker. Undeniably one of the top elites—no one could afford to underestimate such a figure.

Yet, Hanul genuinely found the idea of fighting Bobo troublesome.

‘Should I not have downplayed what happened with Odin?’

If he’d just told them the truth—that he’d taken Odin down solo—maybe he could’ve avoided this whole confrontation.

‘No, that wouldn’t have worked either.’

No one would believe a rookie fresh off the Sky Arena had soloed a Pandemonium representative. More likely, it would’ve stirred up even more suspicion.

‘This was an unavoidable fight either way.’

The moment he accepted that conclusion, Bobo’s fist connected with his stomach.

That instant, the power of Superhuman Bloodline awakened.

Diamond Aura protects your body!

Crack—

The sound of something twisting. But it wasn’t Hanul’s bones—it was Bobo’s hand.

“…Ghk.”

Bobo let out a groan and yanked his hand back. His fingers weren’t straightening—clearly, the impact had been severe.

His face twisted in disbelief.

Naturally. The one who struck usually isn’t the one in pain.

“My body’s a bit… tougher than most.”

Hanul moved, this time lightly tapping Bobo in the abdomen.

Power ‘Strength to Uproot Mountains, Spirit to Overwhelm the World’ fills your body with unparalleled might!

Bobo’s stomach rippled unnaturally. It didn’t seem too serious at first… until his shoulders slumped and one knee hit the ground.

He clutched his stomach, shivering, drenched in cold sweat. The pain caught up with him all at once.

“I told you…”

Hanul looked down at Bobo.

“I’ve never said anything I couldn’t back up.”

There was no response. Bobo was in too much pain to even think straight.

“General.”

Hanul turned to Mohammad Chamkani, who flinched in fear.

“I’ll let that pathetic little threat slide—just this once.”

Chamkani nodded rapidly, pale-faced.

Hanul turned toward the door.

“Kwon… Hanul!”

A roar of fury rang out.

Bobo had risen, his bloodshot eyes blazing red from the pain he’d endured.

“Where do you think you're going?! We’re not done yet!”

He raised both arms. Metal plates formed mid-air, wrapping around his forearms.

Gauntlets of steel covered his arms, five grotesque hook blades sprouting from them.

Hanul saw the transformation and nodded in recognition.

“So that’s why they call you Hook Hand.”

Bobo charged like an animal, rebounding with each step.

“Try blocking this!“

A crimson aura flared around the clawed gauntlets. This wasn’t just energy—it distorted the very air.

This wasn’t something he could afford to take lightly.

Black Dragon’s Bloodline awakens.

The dragon’s instincts take hold.

Heat spread through Hanul’s body. His mind blazed like fire.

Instinct drove him forward.

Rather than dodge, Hanul sprinted directly at him. Bobo’s face contorted in fury.

“You arrogant little—!”

He slashed. A sharp trail was etched into the air.

The hooks, imbued with aura, aimed to rip Hanul apart.

But in that split second, Hanul lowered his body and twisted at the waist. With a sweeping leg, he kicked Bobo’s shin.

Bobo’s body tipped violently—then crashed to the ground.

“…Wha?”

But he recovered fast. Slamming a hand into the floor, he bounced back up.

And as he rose, Hanul’s knee rocketed upward into his face like a bullet.

Crunch.

His nose shattered. Bobo’s head snapped back.

“You bastard!”

Bobo roared and reset his stance, ready to finally finish Hanul.

But again, Hanul ducked and spun, his leg carving a wide arc.

The kick landed cleanly on Bobo’s chin and head.

The impact knocked him senseless. His body crumpled to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.

“You should’ve backed off while you had the chance.”

Hanul retracted his leg and looked down at him.

“Would’ve saved us both the trouble.”

* * *

“When do you think Lord Kwon Hanul will be back…” Joo Hayun muttered as she stared at the wall. She had never wished more for Hanul’s return.

Not because she was worried about his safety—there were few in the world capable of threatening him.

It was because of the group behind her.

“Three minutes left.”

“So if he’s not back by then, we storm the place?”

“Are we really doing this…?”

“Leave breaking down the door to me.”

It was the quartet behind her—Kwon So-ri, Mei Hong, Kwon Hudon, and Gael Garcia—whispering conspiratorially.

They had made a pact: if Hanul didn’t return within thirty minutes, they were going in.

Sigh…

Joo Hayun sighed deeply. If only the Black Sharp Unit were here, she could’ve stopped them.

But Kwon So-ri, head of the Black Rice Unit, was among them. She couldn’t stop So-ri alone.

“If you’re gonna scheme, at least whisper.”

Another reason for her headache: they weren’t even trying to hide their plan. Loud enough for the guards to hear.

“You’d best stay put,” One of the guards finally snapped. “If you cause trouble, we’ll use force. Don’t regret it later.”

He said it with bravado, but Joo Hayun only sighed again.

They weren’t being reckless—they simply didn’t need to hide.

“…And that one won’t stop yapping,” Kwon So-ri muttered irritably. “Back in the day, we’d yank out his arms and legs before even starting a conversation.”

The hunter glared at her. But that didn’t scare her in the slightest.

“Want me to gouge those eyes out?”

Just then, commotion erupted beyond the wall. The group turned toward it in confusion.

Then—with a deafening boom—the door exploded.

Both doors were crushed and flung far off.

Everyone gaped at the blown-open entrance. Someone emerged from the wreckage.

“Kwon Hanul?”

“Hanul?!”

“Captain?!”

None of them expected him to come out this way.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Things got a little noisy inside.”

Hanul stepped over the threshold. The guard moved to block him.

“H-How dare you cause such chaos at the General’s residence—!”

But he couldn’t finish the sentence. Hanul’s killing intent crushed him.

In that moment, the hunter saw it—

A massive dragon baring its fangs at him.

“Oops. Sorry about that. Guess I lost control of my mana for a moment.”

Hanul retracted his aura, but it was too late. The guard had already wet his pants, half out of his mind.

Hanul walked past him toward his group.

“Thank goodness you’re safe. What did Chamkani say?”

“He told us to leave. Said Hyukcheon would bring disaster to the city.”

Kwon So-ri’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Before she could explode, Hanul quickly added—

“So I told him no.”

“He gave up that easily?”

“I persuaded him. Thoroughly.”

Joo Hayun didn’t ask for details. She could already guess.

“Shall we head back, then?”

Hanul got into the car.

Then—a ringtone.

Kwon So-ri pulled out her phone.

“Yeah? What is it?”

The longer the call went, the more serious her expression became.

“…Wait. Are you serious? You’re not joking, right?”

She ended the call with a stony face.

Then turned to Hanul.

“Uh… he is here.”

“He…?”

“Um… I mean… Director Kwon Myung-woo is in Parsak.”

“…My great-uncle?!”

Hanul was stunned.

“I should go greet him immediately.”

“No need…”

“Huh?”

“He’s already on his way here.”

Hanul furrowed his brow. What the hell?

Then—

An overwhelming surge of mana filled the sky.

Hanul and the others turned, startled.

In the distance, a group of people was flying through the air—no, leaping through the sky.

At first, they looked like mere dots.

In a blink, they were overhead.

Dozens dropped from the sky with heavy thuds.

The entire area tensed at the sight of these monstrous newcomers.

“Wahahaha!”

A familiar laugh rang out.

A massive man pushed through the crowd.

Hanul’s eyes widened at the sight of his face.

“Great-Uncle?!”

“Hanul, you rascal! It’s been too long!”

Kwon Myung-woo laughed heartily and pulled him into a hug.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]