The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 230

Chapter 230
Having fought Noble Club’s president, the tactical genius Cha Jo-Ah, Jae-Hyeok was not entirely ignorant of the black mana cloud’s characteristics. Known for its strong defense, back then, Cha Jo-Ah had employed her Cha family’s Bloodline Skill to morph a full suit of armor. But unlike Cha Jo-Ah, Cha Seung-Min’s inky mana took no shape and instead expanded like a black mist.
Anything that fell into the mist was as if it had been pulled beneath a steamroller. Be it chunks of rubble, guns, or people—once the mist swept by, all that remained had either been pressed into dust or flattened into a drawing on the pavement.
“A-avoid it! Run away!”
Nam Tae-Geun came to his senses and hurriedly ordered the soldiers to evacuate. He knew very well what the outcome would be once they were caught in Cha Seung-Mi’s black mana. Jae-Hyeok had reached the same conclusion, but the rolling black mana suddenly surged forward and fell on him like a wave.
What a wondrous use of the Cha family’s technique...
Even in the midst of danger, Jae-Hyeok couldn’t help but be impressed. Rather than using the hyper-condensed black mana to shape armor, as Cho Jo-Ah had, Cha Seung-Mi left it formless and instead used it to crush his victims under its sheer weight.
This is more than just being good at control.
Cha Seung-Min’s skill in manipulating mana was so refined that it was on a completely different level from his young daughter. To have congealed so much mana was a feat within itself, but for Cha Seung-Min to be able to control such a vast quantity of heavy mana went far beyond what others of his level could achieve.
No wonder he’s a general.
From this alone, it was clear that Cha Seung-Min was outstanding in many ways. Jae-Hyeok could understand why he was so respected among Korea’s soldiers.
But even if he were more talented, Jae-Hyeok would still hate him.
Boom!
The black mana pressed down on Jae-Hyeok’s shoulders and head, with more and more gathering overhead by the second. Jae-Hyeok bared his teeth in a snarl as he tightened his core and straightened his knees.
I won’t bow to a dog like him.
When fighting Cha Jo-Ah, Jae-Hyeok had coincidentally discovered that she was learning Kang Hyeon-Ah’s martial arts. Where else could she have learned it if not from her father?
He’d known then that Cha Seung-Min was stealing his sister’s—no, his Kang family’s martial arts.
How terribly has Kang Hyeon-Ah been treated over the past eight years? Maybe... maybe Cha Seung-Min was even behind Kang Hyeon-Ah’s reckless actions and imprisonment in the first place.
It made sense—after all, Cha Seung-Min had only started rising to prominence around eight years ago.
Anger reddened Jae-Hyeok’s eyes. He looked up, drew his sword, and began slashing at the surrounding mana.
His siblings...
Jae-Hyeok blamed Kang Hyeon-Ah just as much as he blamed Kang Dae-Seong for their family’s current predicament. But after hearing Shinra Hyeon’s and Seol Su-Ah’s perspectives and positions during the Kang family’s fall, Jae-Hyeok had come to realize that actions, intentions, and feelings were not always aligned, and so not always black and white.
Indeed, Kang Dae-Seong and Kang Hyeon-Ah had undoubtedly brought down a calamity on the Kang family, and they had done it knowing they were leaving him behind. But Jae-Hyeok could also imagine his siblings’ desperation and anger at that time; their father had just fallen from grace, and the news was tarnishing his legacy; the Kang family's most loyal servants had abandoned them without a word, and the Yaksha's friends and peers chose to ignore the situation entirely.
Ultimately, Kang Dae-Seong and Kang Hyeon-Ah made poor choices in their attempts to help the Kang family and safeguard their father’s legacy.
But their intentions were pure.
Just wait, Elder Sister. I’m coming.
Jae-Hyeok’s sword was a blur as he minced the black mana surrounding him. A harsh sound like metal scraping on metal rang out continuously, but held no concern. Iyarugt was indestructible and impossibly sharp. Eventually, he scattered the thick mana around him faster than it could gather, allowing him to slip free.
With room to breathe, Jae-Hyeok scanned the face of the prison building one more time, his eyes falling on a peculiarity he’d noticed earlier: behind the destroyed brick, one section of the prison revealed a blue, metallic inner wall that was still perfectly intact.
That must be where the prisoners... where Elder Sister is kept.
Jae-Hyeok took one step forward, and then another one. Cha Seung-Min couldn’t help praising him.
“Very good. Dispersing my mana with your sword and optimizing your movements to wade through the thin pocket you’ve created for yourself.”
Under the full weight of his black mana, the force exerted was around twenty atmospheres of pressure, the equivalent force of a grown man subjected to twenty times gravity.
Even under half that load, Cha Seung-Min wouldn’t have expected Jae-Hyeok to be able to withstand it. And yet, Jae-Hyeok was not only swinging his sword at great speed but marching forward step by step.
“An impressive display, but you will tire out and collapse soon enough.”
Cha Seung-Min leisurely used his mana.
He was like the conductor of an orchestra.
The black clouds stirred and began gathering toward Jae-Hyeok at double the speed.
There is no way he can hold on. Ten steps—no, five more steps will be his limit. Kang Jae-Hyeok, in the end, you were just as foolish and arrogant as your sister.
Cha Seung-Min placed a cigarette in his mouth with a chuckle, but his mocking laugh was quickly drowned out—
Boom!
Ten- twenty- thirty steps—Jae-Hyeok was picking up speed at an alarming rate. Despite this, he’d stopped dispersing the black mana below his chest and was instead solely clearing the black mana gathering overhead.
The cigarette fell from Cha Seung-Min’s mouth.
Has he seen through the essence of Black Wind?
The Cha family’s Bloodline Skill granted mana an inherent physical form, which included properties such as mass and durability, meaning the crushing weight of Cha Seung-Min’s mana was a manifestation of its high density and high volume, which he piled on top of his victims.
Which means
.
Jae-Hyeok smiled.
I only need to disperse the black mana down to the level of my shoulders. After that, the weight exerted by the remaining mana is at most like walking through a swamp—not hard at all.
Iyarugt continued to blur, and Jae-Hyeok continued to march... Although Jae-Hyeok was still smiling, Cha Seung-Min’s ability was not as easily countered as he made out. Cha Seung-Min was waving both his hands, commanding more and more black mana to rush toward Jae-Hyeok, who by now was sweating.
The rushing mana slowly outpaced Jae-Hyeok, and as the weight slowly piled on, his joints screamed in protest and the veins in his neck bulged. He had already optimized his sword path to the limit, with not a single wasted movement, but at his current speed, if he slowed down at all, he would be buried under the weight of Cha Seung-Min’s mana in seconds.
Cha Seung-Min’s brow glistened from exertion, but he was already grinning in victory.
Suddenly, Jae-Hyeok changed tack.
Voosh!
Voosh!
Before Cha Seung-Min knew it, the clouds of black mana gathering on top of Jae-Hyeok rapidly thinned until Jae-Hyeok’s head and shoulders were once again free.
Cha Seung-Min’s expression twisted in shock.
Jae-Hyeok, after scattering the black mana, was then using the flat of his sword as a great ore, kicking up gusts of wind that sent the remnants of his mana far away.
Why didn’t I think of that? He’s dispensing my mana to lower its density, and then kicking up a wind to maximize the delay in its recondensation...
Jae-Hyeok's swordsmanship was evolving in real-time.
This isn’t someone Ji Cheon-Myeong could handle.
It was too late by the time Cha Seung-Min realized it. The distance between Jae-Hyeok and him was narrowed to just over five meters.
“Remember this. I’m just here to visit Kang Hyeon-Ah.”
“The warden should’ve informed you that visits are impossible according to military law, right?”
“Can’t you show some flexibility?”
“That would be overstepping your authority. No matter whether you are a National Treasure candidate or even a National Treasure, you can’t stand above military law.”
“I’ve been alone for eight years.”
“......?”
“I just wanted to meet my older sister.”
“......”
Cha Seung-Min’s expression stiffened. It struck him then that the boy standing before was a year younger than even his reckless daughter. He almost felt pity.
Almost.
He quickly controlled his expression and abandoned his human heart.
“Save your whining for your sister when you’re a prisoner like her.”
Cha Seung-Min dreamed of establishing a strong military government. He wanted to change the paradoxical position of the military, which was heavily restricted despite its immense power, leaving the country’s potential for great change untapped.
He aimed to replace the corrupt politicians who served the whims of the masses with a military regime that was ironclad in the face of foreign threats.
In a world marked by conflict, Cha Seung-Min believed soldiers should be the backbone of the nation. However, the reality was far from simple. Entrenched powers—namely the Association and the politicians—were obstacles to his grand vision. To compete with them, Cha Seung-Min, the most capable military officer, recognized that he needed to grasp all the power he could and reach his full potential.
To that end, he’d long set his sights on the leaderless Kang family’s techniques. He’d gained much from Kang Hyeon-Ah already, and by a twist of fate, Kang Jae-Hyeok had done him a favor by bringing down the Association and causing political turmoil: it was a golden opportunity—if he were to capture Jae-Hyeok now, he would have plenty to work with when it came to shaping the narrative.
“I will arrest you under my authority as a military general. We don’t need to discuss the charges, do we?” Cha Seung-Min inclined his head to the desolation behind Jae-Hyeok. The property damage alone would be hundreds of billions of won. Still, Cha Seung-Min was grateful. Thanks to Jae-Hyeok's violent outburst, the entrenched powers would be in disarray, opening up many opportunities for Cha Seung-Min.
I will handle him without being too harsh.
The black clouds of mana that filled the area gathered into a stream that poured onto Cha Seung-Min’s hand before climbing up his arm and soon covered his whole body.
“The world is wide. I recommend surrendering while it is still possible.”
Bloodline Skill: Devouring Shadow.
In that moment, the Cha family’s unique mana finally revealed its true value—
Extreme defense.
Can that be pierced?
Jae-Hyeok wondered. Even when formless, the black mana had felt tough even for Iyarugt. Not to mention that it rapidly recondensed no matter how he sliced it.
Now that it was being worn as armor, Cha Seung-Min’s defense couldn’t be measured. Additionally, recalling what it had been like to fight Cha Jo-Ah, Jae-Hyeok knew striking the armor would reflect a fierce counterattack.
It will be meaningless if I can’t break through.
This was an opponent who must be defeated anyway.
Although Jae-Hyeok had never imagined that a powerhouse like Cha Seung-Min would be lurking in the military prison, his purpose hadn’t changed. Today, he would save Kang Hyeon-Ah.
Besides, Cha Seung-Min was someone he had to confront sooner or later.
“So you intend to resist.”
Cha Seung-Min read the intent behind Jae-Hyeok’s steady eyes and activated a new Skill: Black Dragon’s Mouth.
Black mana bled off of Cha Seung-Min and condensed into a pitch-black dragon head, featureless save for its wide mouth and serrated, black teeth.
Meanwhile, a portion of black mana gathered around Cha Seung-Min’s hands to form heavy gauntlets.
“Go.”
The dragon head flew forward and chomped at Jae-Hyeok’s chest. Cha Seung-Min wasn’t far behind, delivering a flurry of blindingly fast punches and kicks.
Baang!
Cha Seung-Min felt like an entirely different person; where moments ago he’d seemed like a steady mountain, now he seemed like a raging torrent.
Jae-Hyeok couldn’t even find the space to draw his sword more than halfway from his scabbard, constantly having to block one attack and then the next.
Jae-Hyeok leaned low as if he were a tree bending to the wind.
“There’s no use in trying to weather it—I won’t let up until you fall.”
There was no way he would lose. The four stars that Cha Seung-Min wore on his shoulders symbolized a weight that a young and inexperienced talent like Jae-Hyeok could never truly understand.
Bang!
Aiming to crush Jae-Hyeok’s stubborn resistance with a single strike, Cha Seung-Min unleashed a technique—Neck Drop.
It was the very same Kang martial technique that Kang Hyeon-Ah had practiced relentlessly in her dark cell, training hundreds or even thousands of times a day to hold on to her identity. Striking from a blind angle, the user would knock a target unconscious before they could even register what had happened. It was the representation of the epitome of Kang Hyeon-Ah’s martial arts, and now, under the flawless execution of an S-player, its results would be even more spectacular—or so Cha Seung-Min thought.
Bam!
“......?”
Cha Seung-Min was dumbfounded as Jae-Hyeok’s red sword suddenly rose and struck his elbow.
“Were your family’s own techniques not good enough?” Jae-Hyeok wondered.
At the same time, leaning forward, he avoided the front kick aimed at the back of his head, spun, and severed Cha Seung-Min’s arm.