[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Chapter 70: The Inheritance Ceremony (3)
Joo Hayun descended into the small park just outside the mansion.
“You're here?”
A woman was waiting for her in the park.
There was no need for the woman to reveal her identity—Joo Hayun had sensed who it was the mont she felt her presence.
“Maria Sanchez. I figured it was you.”
Maria Sanchez smiled, clearly pleased.
“It’s been a while. How have you been?”
“You’re a mber of Pandemonium’s Council. What are you doing here?”
“Hey, is that any way to greet an old friend? You could at least pretend you’re happy to see .”
“Just answer the question. What is a Pandemonium councilor doing here?”
The World Rank and Pandemonium were similar not only in their global status but also in their structure.
If the World Rank assigned numbers to the most powerful fighters, Pandemonium awarded council seats to the strongest villains.
“Why am I here? It’s simple. Frederance asked to keep you in check.”
“I didn’t think a Pandemonium councilor would have this much free ti.”
“I’m not exactly free. But Frederance and I go way back. And more importantly, I wouldn’t trust anyone else with the matter of you.”
Maria Sanchez’s smile shifted. Her lips curled up, but her eyes did not follow.
“I fought you ready to kill, and yet you're the only one I couldn’t finish. I haven’t tied up that loose end yet. No way I’d hand you over to soone else.”
Joo Hayun's brows furrowed even deeper.
“Oh, right. Did you know all of Pandemonium is buzzing about you?”
“I have no interest in that cesspool’s gossip.”
“They’re all talking about how the Witch of Hyukcheon is chasing after so man.”
Joo Hayun’s eyebrow twitched.
“Do you know how many people cried when they heard that? Especially Odin—he was crying out of his one and only eye, saying his woman had been stolen.”
“I have no interest in hearing about that repulsive man.”
“Oh, I’ll be sure to pass that ssage on to Odin.”
Maria Sanchez turned her gaze toward the mansion.
“The man in there… he’s the one in the rumors, right?”
A faint shimr flickered in Maria Sanchez’s eyes as she stared at the mansion.
“Not bad. Good judgnt, guts, talent. He’s weak now, but that won’t last.”
She touched her lips thoughtfully.
“I’m not too thrilled about a new dragon being born into the Hyukcheon Group.”
Then suddenly, Maria muttered, casually—
“Maybe I should just kill him while I’m here.”
In that instant, Joo Hayun’s entire presence shifted violently.
Dark energy surged around her. The floor of the rooftop cracked beneath her feet.
“Maria Sanchez of the Iron Fortress. Are you looking to die?”
Maria’s lips curled. Now things were getting interesting.
“Can you really kill ?”
“You think I can’t?”
“Ooh, scary. Guess I can’t just stand here and do nothing, huh?”
Maria Sanchez’s muscles began to ripple. Her body started to grow.
From her petite height of around 160 cm, she suddenly shot up to nearly three ters. And it wasn’t just size—the transformation ca with thick, armor-like muscles layered over her entire body.
Though her body now looked like a monster’s, her face remained that of a delicate woman, creating an eerie contrast.
“Well then, shall we finish the duel we never concluded back then?”
* * *
anwhile…
Kwon Hanul had his remaining team mbers search the mansion.
But none of the missing people could be found.
“Where could they have gone…?”
He muttered to himself, and the team mbers imdiately turned pale.
“S-s-sorry, sir! If you give us a bit more ti, we’ll definitely find them!”
“Y-yeah! Just a little more ti and this ti we’ll—”
The team mbers were terrified—understandably so. They had just witnessed Kwon Hanul’s fury boil over monts ago.
“Uh… I told you not to be so scared.”
Hanul himself had already cooled down.
He’d lost his temper and lashed out, but now that he’d cald down, he realized nothing would co from getting even angrier.
“I an, co on. Do you really think I’d hurt fellow guild mbers?”
Their faces went even paler.
Hanul had ant that as reassurance, but to them, it clearly sounded like a threat.
“You don’t have to be scared… Ah, forget it. Does anyone know where they might have gone?”
The team all shook their heads.
It looked like sheer incompetence, but Hanul didn’t see it that way.
They couldn’t have gone far. They must still be nearby.
Hanul’s detection abilities were exceptional. He might’ve been distracted during the battle, but he wouldn’t have missed soone leaving the estate.
But I can’t sense them anywhere. That ans they disappeared inside the mansion…
More questions arose.
Why did Rockbreaker even act on his own in the first place?
Was it ego? That didn’t sit right. He didn’t even know where Frederance was, so why try to act like a hero?
Staying in the banquet hall, protecting guests, and fighting enemies would’ve earned more credit.
‘Was it all just to ss with ?’
Not impossible—but Hanul shook his head.
‘He’s not trustworthy, but he’s not stupid either. He knows that if guests died because of him, he wouldn’t co out unscathed.’
So why had Rockbreaker made such a reckless move?
As Hanul brooded—
“U-uhm…”
A middle-aged woman hesitantly raised her hand. One of the banquet guests.
“Yes? What is it?”
As he addressed her, her face stiffened in fear. Like the others, she was intimidated by him.
Hanul sighed inwardly and softened his tone.
“Ma’am, did you have sothing to say?”
“Well… I happened to overhear Lady Ryoko and Goriki talking earlier…”
Hanul’s eyes widened.
“Really? What did they say?”
“Yes… Goriki said they needed to go to a hideout. That they should wait for the right mont to move so others wouldn’t notice.”
The woman described the conversation as best she could.
“And then… the man guarding that area overheard them. He said he’d go with them to the hideout.”
“A hideout, huh?”
“Yes. He said it would be safer there.”
Hanul stroked his chin.
Goriki Nana’s behavior was suspicious. Fear was expected under attack, but asking to sneak off to a hideout while surrounded by hunters?
“Oh, and… she also asked Director Nomura to co with them.” The woman added, rembering belatedly. Hanul muttered with a sour look.
“Suspicious.”
Even just hearing about it was suspicious. He could imagine how it must’ve looked in the mont.
“…Ah, I get it now.”
He finally understood why Rockbreaker had moved.
He must’ve sensed sothing off about Goriki Nana—figured that following that scent would lead him to Frederance.
“Now it all makes sense.”
Abandoning the guests wasn’t excusable…
But if he captured Frederance, everything changed. A mistake could be buried under the weight of a major achievent.
‘He thinks he can kill him alone, does he?’
And it wasn’t just blind arrogance.
If Frederance was a villain of Pandemonium, Rockbreaker was a world-ranked hunter.
His sensory skills were weak, yes—but that alone didn’t define him. His real strength was in battle.
“This is a problem.”
His head had cooled, but anger still smoldered in his chest.
He couldn’t let this go without settling the score with Rockbreaker.
But if Rockbreaker took down Frederance, all the credit would go to him. Hanul would have no grounds to press charges.
“Does anyone know where this hideout is?”
He looked around at the guests. No one responded—just exchanged uncertain glances.
“What about the mansion staff?”
Sa silence.
Hanul sighed. Disappointing, but expected.
There’s a reason it’s called a hideout, after all.
“Isn’t there anyone who knows?”
He murmured to himself—then suddenly, his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket.
“…Kwon Mi?”
It was soone unexpected. Still, he answered.
—“H-hello!”
A panicked voice ca through.
Hanul was stunned. Kwon Mi had only ever spoken to him with anger or cold indifference.
He had never heard her sound desperate—or pleading.
“Auntie, I think you dialed the wrong number.”
He assud she had called by mistake.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t pick up.”
Even if they didn’t get along, he could spare her dignity.
Satisfied with his response, he was about to hang up—
—“D-don’t hang up! I-it’s not a mistake! I ant to call you!”
Confusion flickered across Hanul’s face.
“It wasn’t a mistake?”
—“There’s no ti for this! H-Hudon… Hudon’s in danger!”
“…What do you an—?”
—“Rockbreaker, that bastard… he’s got Hudon…”
Kwon Mi scread, nearly in tears.
—“If we don’t do sothing, our Hudon’s going to die!”
* * *
A high-ceilinged, dimly lit room.
Cough.
There, Kwon Hudon lay sprawled on the floor, coughing up blood.
“Cough, cough…”
His condition was dire.
His skin was charred black as if burned, and his abdon looked shredded like crushed tomatoes.
“Oops. Did I go a little overboard?”
A voice mocked him from above.
“Kind of disappointing, really. A mber of Hyukcheon, and you go down in one hit? Either your boss is trash, or the rumors were inflated.”
Hudon looked up and gasped out, “W-why…”
At that mont, a foot struck his abdon, slamming him into the wall.
“Why? You’re seriously asking why?”
Rockbreaker casually flicked the foot he’d kicked with, like brushing off garbage.
“Don’t ask such la questions.”
He walked toward Hudon, who groaned and clawed at the floor in pain.
“Cut the crap and choose already, boss. You can either die here at my hands, or…”
Rockbreaker spread his arms. Behind him stood his team and living puppets in neat rows.
“…swallow the poison and obey . Just like them.”
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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