[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Chapter 149: Sky Arena (1)
The day of the Sky Arena.
Kwon Hanul stood in front of a mirror, finishing up his outfit.
To the casual observer, it looked like an ordinary black suit. But in reality, it was a set of armor known as the Blackriver Set.
Dressed impeccably in Blackriver, he even tied his own necktie. Only then did he step outside.
Waiting for him at the door was Joo Hayun. She gave him a quick once-over.
“So you tied your tie by yourself today.”
“I’ve worn it enough times to get the hang of it.”
Hanul replied with pride. He had always felt a bit awkward and guilty whenever Hayun had to help him with his tie in the past.
She looked straight at his chest and spoke.
Before he could ask what she meant, Hayun stepped closer.
She reached out and adjusted his necktie.
“It was a little off-center. As a member of Hyukcheon, you can’t overlook these small details.”
There was a pleasant scent in her hair. It caught Hanul off guard—it had been a while since he’d smelled anything like it.
Before he could gather himself, Hayun had already stepped back.
“All done. Let’s go.”
She took the lead, and Hanul scratched his cheek as he followed.
“Once it’s 2 PM, a message will pop up in front of your eyes,” Hayun explained as they made their way to the deck. “It’ll be an invitation from the Sky Arena. Once you accept, you’ll be transported inside.”
So no grand spotlight entrance like in sports. Then again, with over a hundred participants, this method was cleaner.
“You’ll likely begin the first match right away.”
“No one knows the match format yet, right?”
“Correct. The format changes every time, so you’ll only know once you’re inside.”
The Sky Arena required its participants to go through multiple rounds, each with different rules. Prediction was pointless.
As they stepped onto the deck, the sun greeted Hanul. His team was already waiting.
Kwon Hudon couldn’t contain his excitement at the sight of Hanul, even though they’d had breakfast together that morning.
“This day has finally come! You're… you're actually entering the Sky Arena.”
Hudon’s eyes welled up with emotion. Mei Hong, standing beside him, looked unimpressed.
“You’re not even the one entering. Why are you crying?”
“Well… still, the fact that Hanul’s qualified to enter such a prestigious arena… It means the Chairman recognizes his strength. How could I not be proud?”
“Alright, alright. Just stop crying already.”
Despite the jab, Mei Hong handed him a handkerchief. Hudon took it and wiped his eyes.
“I won’t say much,” Mei Hong said to Hanul. “Last time I checked, those so-called participants weren’t anything special. I could’ve taken them all down myself. So with you in there? Please.”
“Want to join in yourself, then?”
“Nope. If you’re there, I wouldn’t win first place anyway. What would be the point?”
She grumbled, and Hanul chuckled softly.
This time, Gael Garcia spoke.
“Please stay on guard. Ever since you declared yourself a Trueblood, participant movements have been… suspicious.”
A few days ago, Hanul had revealed in a press conference that he was a Trueblood.
The statement spread globally and caused a massive stir.
The first to react were the hunters gathering for the Sky Arena.
“Even now, I can feel eyes on us.”
They were constantly being watched—spies, drones, long-range vision skills. All manners of surveillance.
Hanul could’ve countered it, but didn’t bother. Even if he cleaned them out, more would come.
“They’ll do anything to eliminate you.”
Hanul patted Gael’s shoulder reassuringly.
He checked the time. It was nearly time for the Sky Arena to open.
Hanul turned to his team.
“Well, I’ll be back.”
The moment he accepted, a brilliant light engulfed him.
Suddenly, the light vanished. In its place stood a towering wall in front of Hanul, reminiscent of an apartment complex.
But the wall wasn’t the only thing.
Five men were staring straight at him.
“Is that really Kwon Hanul?”
“Who else looks like that? Of course it’s him.”
“First match and it’s Hanul? Just our luck.”
Each of the five muttered something.
“No—this is good luck.”
One of them grinned, prompting the others to look at him.
“This is exactly why we formed a coalition—to take him out early.”
“I hated the idea of forming alliances in a setting … but this works.”
“No point complaining. Orders came from the top. Let’s handle him quickly, then go our separate ways.”
Things were clearly off. Hanul spoke up.
“Just asking—surely you’re not planning to gang up on one person, are you?”
They didn’t respond. Instead, they each pulled out a weapon.
The air thickened with killing intent. Hanul clicked his tongue.
“Seriously? You don’t even know what the match is yet…”
“…Oh, for crying out loud.”
“You do realize the outside world can observe the Sky Arena, right? If you kill me here, how do you plan to deal with the aftermath?”
“You sure talk a lot for someone from Hyukcheon,” said the man wielding a sword.
“Do you know what’s scarier than Hyukcheon’s wrath?”
“Hyukcheon gaining a Trueblood.”
Hyukcheon was already a global powerhouse with few rivals. Adding a Trueblood to their ranks would only solidify their dominance.
“You really believe I’m a Trueblood?”
If Hanul wasn’t, they’d just made an enemy of Hyukcheon for no reason.
The question was meant to sow doubt—but their resolve didn’t waver.
“Enough talk. What, is the mighty Hyukcheon scared?”
Their taunt was met with laughter. Hanul simply shrugged.
“Forming alliances is fine and all…”
He clicked his tongue again.
“But if you’re charging at me, you might want to rethink it.”
Instead, the five simultaneously activated their skills.
It was like a natural disaster.
A wave of fire surged forward. The ground and walls melted under the intense heat.
Then came a brutal cold, raising massive ice spikes from the scorched earth.
A violent storm followed, shattering the icy terrain.
All their skills converged on one point.
The spot Hanul had been standing was scorched and destroyed.
Then—silence. The attacks ceased. The noise vanished.
One of the five blinked in disbelief.
“Why is he… still standing?”
The spot that had been annihilated—
Hanul stood alone, untouched. Not a single hair out of place. As if he were out for a stroll.
“This makes no sense…”
They had the best skills, top-tier gear, and the highest level of support. But none of them had managed to land a single blow.
“I did warn you,” Hanul said, eyes shifting to the message in the air:
“I said think carefully before attacking me.”
The Dragonheart had long been activated. Right now, his magically enhanced heart pulsed and released overwhelming mana.
Truly worthy of its name—Dragonheart.
Just by wrapping himself in its energy, he had nullified every one of their attacks.
A hunter with a spear lunged at him. In a flash, the spear drove toward Hanul’s chest—a strike strong enough to pierce flesh and bone.
Dragonheart could block intangible skills, but not physical strikes. The spear tore through the mana barrier, aiming for Hanul’s heart.
But in that instant—black scales covered his chest.
The spear clashed with the scales. A thunderous boom followed, and the attacker was sent flying.
The man crashed to the ground, gasping for air, clearly stunned.
Black scales began to spread over Hanul’s entire body.
As the Dragonscale Armor formed, the five hunters' faces stiffened.
They knew that armor. Dragonscale Armor—one of the highest-tier defensive authorities.
“Still want to continue?” Hanul asked calmly.
The five exchanged glances—and once again, killing intent flared.
“I admire your tenacity,” Hanul muttered with a smirk.
The five attacked in unison.
Weapons from all directions—greatswords, spears, blades—clashed against Hanul.
But not a single strike pierced his Dragonscale Armor.
Hanul summoned his mana. The Dragonheart pulsed louder in response.
With each beat, it released near-limitless mana.
“…I don’t even need to lift a finger for the likes of you.”
With their weapons still pressed against him, they could sense it firsthand—
Just how utterly monstrous his mana was.
“This guy’s insane…!”
Before the sentence even finished—
Hanul unleashed everything.
The arena's walls crumbled around him.
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]