[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 192: Persuasion (2)

No one stepped forward.

On the contrary, the Hunters became so cautious they barely dared breathe, afraid that even that might draw Kwon Myung-woo’s gaze.

“Thank you, all of you, for understanding my sincerity.”

Wearing a pleased smile, Kwon Myung-woo calmly retracted his aura. The menacing atmosphere, sharp as black ice, dissipated instantly.

He waved his hand toward his group. Everyone gathered around him.

“Well? What do you think of my persuasion technique?”

He grinned brightly as he asked Kwon Hanul. Hanul responded with a forced smile.

“It’s... certainly effective.”

He couldn’t very well say that it bore no resemblance to any kind of persuasion he knew.

Once the commotion died down, Kwon Myung-woo and the rest of Hyukcheon’s force entered the Secret Vault.

Hanul and the Dark Shade Unit, Myung-woo and his Hyukcheon Corps, Gu Eon and the Iron Corps—everyone went inside.

The only one who didn’t enter was Kwon So-ri. Her task was to stand guard outside and prevent other Hunters from entering the Secret Vault.

“So this is the Mei Clan’s Secret Vault...”

Hanul looked around, a curious expression on his face.

He had wondered what the inside of a transdimensional relic might look like.

But once inside, the Secret Vault was surprisingly ordinary. The ceiling was high, and the corridors and floors were made of polished hardwood.

That’s when he noticed something—a blood-covered body slumped against the wall.

“Granduncle, that’s…”

“Hmm. Seems quite a few guests made it in before us.”

Kwon Myung-woo gestured with his chin. Gu Eon moved in to examine the corpse.

“It’s Kadir Ergetch, the Flame Alchemist. Ranked 87th in the world. Leader of the Goral Guild.”

An impressive Hunter with both skill and status.

And yet, here he was—dead alone at the entrance, not even deep inside the Secret Vault.

Myung-woo rubbed his chin, then asked, “Cause of death?”

“There are multiple wounds, but the real cause appears to be poisoning.”

“Poison?”

Gu Eon flared open Kadir’s cloak. His chest was riddled with tiny puncture holes—dozens of them.

“A barrage of poisoned needles pierced through his body. Likely a trap.”

“Traps strong enough to take down a double-numbered Hunter… This place is seriously dangerous.”

Kwon Myung-woo peered down the corridor. It was wide and undecorated—bare of any distractions.

“There could be traps here too… Should I just smash through everything?” He muttered it offhandedly. With his strength, he could plow through traps or anything else.

If this were any normal location, that is.

“Sir, if you use force carelessly in a transdimensional space…”

“I know. We’ll all die if the pocket dimension collapses,” Myung-woo replied with an irritated look.

“No helping it. We’ll just have to forge ahead carefully.”

He took the lead.

Just as he stepped forward, the ceiling and walls split open—and hundreds of poisoned needles rained down.

The whole group was caught in the blast radius.

Yet not a single needle made contact.

From beneath Myung-woo’s feet, Dragon Aura erupted. It spread like wildfire, engulfing the ceiling and walls.

The poisoned needles melted as soon as they touched it. Not one pierced through the aura.

“...Whoa.”

Hanul couldn’t help but whisper in awe. It was a terrifyingly overwhelming sight.

Sure, he could erase poisoned needles with magic too—but not like that. Not over such a vast area, in a split second.

“Let’s move.”

Kwon Myung-woo continued forward. The others followed closely behind.

No further traps appeared.

Instead, a new obstacle awaited them.

The corridor split into four separate paths.

“Mei Hong, you said you’d been inside the Secret Vault before. Do you know which of these leads to the central chamber?” Kwon Myung-woo asked. Mei Hong looked troubled.

“Um… W-when I came here, these corridors didn’t exist.”

“What do you mean?”

“Originally, the Secret Vault was built with a single path leading to rooms where treasures were sorted by type. There weren’t any splits like this.”

“Then these were added?”

“That’s what I believe.”

“Hmm…”

Myung-woo halted and thought it over.

“Altering a transdimensional relic isn’t something done lightly.”

These relics were powerful but incredibly unstable.

Even creating a single extra chamber took trained experts and extensive time.

“This place keeps getting more suspicious.”

He rubbed his chin and stared at the four forks.

“No choice. We’ll have to split up.”

Gu Eon immediately voiced his concern. “Sir, splitting up weakens our combat strength. If the Mei Clan ambushes one of us…”

“It’d be dangerous. I know.” Myung-woo said calmly. “But hiding in fear of the Mei Clan doesn’t suit Hyukcheon. Besides, we’ve got enough power here—myself, the Hyukcheon Corps, the Iron Corps. If we cower with all this firepower, what would others think?”

Together, Hyukcheon Corps and Iron Corps made up nearly 30% of Hyukcheon’s full combat strength.

And with Myung-woo and Gu Eon present, their force was overwhelming.

“We are Hyukcheon. Whatever tricks the enemy plays, our way is to smash through it head-on.”

And so, he divided the group.

He mixed the Hyukcheon Corps and Iron Corps members into three teams.

Two were led by himself and Gu Eon. The third went to the Hyukcheon Corps vice-captain.

“As for the fourth path… Hanul, that one’s yours.”

He gave the order to Hanul.

It could’ve been taken as a cold command—sending him into enemy territory where the remnants of the Mei Clan were likely waiting.

“Understood.”

But Hanul accepted without complaint. In fact, it was an honor.

It meant Myung-woo acknowledged his strength.

“Good lad.”

Myung-woo gave a satisfied smile.

“I’ll send two others with you just in case.”

He gestured to the Hyukcheon Corps and Iron Corps members.

One stepped forward from each unit.

“I’m Im Myung-soo. It’s an honor to serve under you, sir.”

A man with a gentle face bowed his head. Despite his soft expression, the mana pulsing from his body was oppressive.

“He claims he’s the third strongest in Hyukcheon Corps.”

“Captain, it’s not just a claim—we held proper duels to prove it...!”

“He’s got the skill, but he’s arrogant. Don’t trust him too much.” Myung-woo said flatly.

“And that one... well, you already know him.”

He nodded toward the Iron Corps representative.

It was a familiar face—Bae Cheol-min, of the Bae Clan’s main bloodline.

“I’ll do my best,” he said cheerfully, as though he hadn’t recently blown up at Hanul on a terrace.

“Shifty guy, but solid in a fight. Use him well.”

And so, the temporary team was formed.

Myung-woo, Gu Eon, and the vice-captain each led their teams into separate paths.

“Let’s go.”

Hanul, with his squad members, headed down his corridor.

The hallway stretched on, featureless and bland.

Eventually, the path ended—and opened into a space the size of a gymnasium.

They stopped in their tracks. A wide-open room like this screamed “trap.”

But there was an even more obvious reason.

“Ugh, ughhh, guhhh...”

A man stood in the center, foaming at the mouth and groaning bizarrely.

Dozens of corpses lay around him.

“Guuuuh… guhhhh…”

His head twisted unnaturally. Bloodshot eyes locked onto Hanul.

“You… you, you lot…”

Then, to everyone’s shock, a clear voice came from his mouth.

“You… you’re here to steal my... my treasure, aren’t you?!”

“Treasure?”

“Y-Yes! T-Treasure! M-My... m-my treasure… that I found!”

The man raised the longsword he held.

It lacked a crossguard—blade and hilt forged as one.

Hanul squinted. Something about the sword’s mana felt deeply sinister.

“Huh?”

Mei Hong reacted. She pointed at the weapon.

“That sword… it was stored in the Secret Vault. A demon sword collected by the Mei Clan long ago.”

“A demon sword?”

Not all relics are helpful to humans.

Some are outright harmful—demon swords, demon spears, demon armor, and so on.

Relics with demons or curses often held immense power, but also corrupted their wielder’s mind.

However…

“Is that sword really that powerful? Enough to dominate a Hunter like him?”

The Hunter was no novice. But the demon sword didn’t feel that strong.

It seemed impossible that the weapon had overpowered him.

“That can’t be… I don’t remember that sword being especially dangerous.”

Mei Hong shook her head. Something wasn’t right.

“S-Stay back!” The man screamed, pointing the demon sword at them, his killing intent flaring. “Y-You’re all trying to steal my sword! M-My… M-MY TREASURE! I WON’T LET YOU!”

The man kicked off the ground and charged at Kwon Hanul, both hands gripping the cursed blade.

“D-Die!”

A torrent of aura burst from the sword, violently carving through walls and ceilings as it followed the arc of his strike.

“I’ll take care of this, Lord Hanul.”

Im Myung-soo, the self-proclaimed third strongest in the Hyukcheon Corps, stepped forward. With a sweep of his arms, two massive shields appeared in his hands.

“Graaaah!”

The rushing torrent of aura surged toward him. He raised his left-hand shield to intercept it.

The shield turned pitch-black and absorbed the raging energy. The deafening noise vanished in an instant.

“Hup!”

He thrust his other shield forward, and in a flash, it released the torrent it had absorbed moments earlier.

“Kugh!”

The aura engulfed the madman. Though he braced himself by plunging his sword into the ground, it wasn’t enough.

His clothes shredded. Flesh was ripped away. Blood soaked him from head to toe.

“Guuh… ugh…”

He couldn’t even groan properly. Even as his body was torn apart, he refused to let go of the sword.

“Persistent,” Im Myung-soo muttered, preparing to end it.

But at that instant, Kwon Hanul’s instincts screamed a warning.

“Back off!”

The moment he shouted, the man rammed the cursed sword into his own chest.

An explosion erupted.

Im Myung-soo, who was closest, couldn’t escape in time. His body was instantly torn apart, reduced to bloody scraps.

The blast didn't end with him — it spread across the entire chamber.

“Hayun!”

“Yes!”

Joo Hayun summoned her mana to shield the group, but it wasn’t enough.

Kwon Hanul activated his Dragon Demon Aura, then slammed both palms onto the ground.

A rising wall of Dragon Demon Aura surged from the ground. The explosion’s shockwave slammed into it.

The barrier cracked and trembled violently. Kwon Hanul poured in more mana.

Because of that, he didn’t notice what came next.

The floor beneath them collapsed.

“...What?”

Even Kwon Hanul hadn’t predicted this. He and the Dark Shade Unit fell into the darkness below.

While falling, Kwon Hanul strained his enhanced vision, but saw nothing but black.

“Hayun! Hudon!”

He called out his teammates’ names, but received no reply.

“Mei Hong! Gael!”

Nothing.

“Bae Cheol-min!”

Even after calling the name of the Bae clan heir, there was only silence.

The ground appeared. Kwon Hanul landed lightly.

“This place…”

He scanned his surroundings.

It was far larger than the room above. Strangely, when he looked up, he could see a ceiling.

“A ceiling?”

But he’d fallen from above — and yet there it was.

“What the hell is the Mei Clan up to?”

Just as he muttered that—

“So we finally meet.”

A stranger’s voice echoed.

Kwon Hanul turned.

A man with jet-black hair stared at him.

There was no need to ask who he was. The familiar aura and twin swords strapped to his back made it obvious.

“A bloodline member of the Mei Clan?”

“I am Mei Ji-peng, also known as the Flowing Blade. Though unworthy, I hold one of the seven titles of the Plum Blossom Swords.”

Plum Blossom Swords — a title given only to the seven most elite swordsmen of the Mei Clan.

During the assault on the Mei Clan, none of them had been present.

He hadn’t expected to face one here.

“You’re far more impressive than I imagined. So, what brings someone like you to me?”

“No need to dance around it. We both know what this is.”

Mei Ji-peng dragged his thumb across his neck in a slicing gesture.

“Kwon Hanul. I’m here to see you die.”

Kwon Hanul raised an eyebrow, confused.

“You alone think you can kill me?”

It wasn’t mockery — it was genuine confusion. Mei Ji-peng’s eye twitched at the reaction.

“You arrogant brat. Just like any Hyukcheon blood, you know how to get under someone’s skin.”

“I asked you a question first. Are you seriously thinking you’ll kill me by yourself?”

“Hah! Someone like you? I don’t need help. But this isn’t just about a duel.”

“Then what is it?”

“This is retribution — for the blood of my clan!”

With a snap of his fingers, the door behind him burst open, and dozens of swordsmen stormed out.

“Remember, each of you gets to stab him once. No more than that. If you overdo it, he’ll die before we’ve all had our turn.”

They nodded grimly, bloodlust in their eyes.

“Form the Sword Formation.”

The swordsmen unsheathed their blades and surrounded Kwon Hanul, beginning to move in unison.

It looked chaotic at first glance, but was in fact systematic and fluid — an orchestrated pattern of movement.

Kwon Hanul watched, intrigued.

“Ah. I’ve heard of this.”

The Mei Clan supposedly had a technique where the weak could kill the strong.

If they could fully deploy this so-called Sword Formation, even someone many times stronger could fall.

“What an amusing trick.”

His mouth curled slightly. To think they’d try something like this on him — it was insulting.

It was his first time seeing the formation, but thanks to his Genius Bloodline and Shura Bloodline, he was already analyzing its structure in detail.

Now all that remained was to break it.

Something else caught his eye.

A lone longsword lay on the floor — the same cursed blade the mad hunter had used before the explosion.

It must have fallen with him after the blast.

“...Hmph.”

Kwon Hanul picked it up.

The moment he grasped it, the cursed blade tried to consume his mind.

But he brushed it off with ease. He didn’t even need to tap into his bloodlines — his sheer SS-rank mental resistance was enough.

“...What is he doing?”

Mei Ji-peng stared in disbelief.

Kwon Hanul casually twirled the sword and spoke, “Thought I’d return the favor with this.”

“A Hyukcheon scion… using a sword… to fight… us, the Mei Clan?”

Mei Ji-peng looked completely baffled.

Kwon Hanul replied flatly, “Why not?”

Grrrk.

A grinding sound — Mei Ji-peng’s jaw clenched, his veins bulging with rage.

“What are you waiting for?! Shut that bastard up—NOW!”

With a thunderous shout, the Mei Clan swordsmen surged toward Kwon Hanul.

Watching them charge, he muttered one phrase under his breath:

“Shura King.”

Activating the power of the ‘Sacred Beast Bloodline’

‘Shura Bloodline’ and ‘Sacred Beast Bloodline’ resonate

Sacred Beast Bloodline’s power mutates!

The power of the Shura King manifests in this place!

Half-Incarnation Form initiated!

In that moment, the world was drenched in blood-red light.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]