Bad Born Blood - Chapter 13



Only Noblemtl

013

The name Luca is common in the Empire. There were two Lucas in the orphanage I was in.

When I was little, I was called Little Luca. When I got older, I was called Luca. Then, another child named Luca came in. He was called Little Luca, just like me in the past.

Old memories come to mind. I kept the memories of the orphanage closed throughout my time as a cadet. It was a place I would never return to.

‘I’ve never had a full meal.’

Once or twice a month, an imperial official would visit the orphanage. The vehicle was loaded with rations, but half of them were gone the next day. The rations were scattered throughout the lower areas.

Even when I was hungry, I didn’t slack off on my training. I read books that no one had read and that were just gathering dust, and I built up my stamina by lifting rusty lumps of iron.

‘Are you stupid? Don’t do something that wastes your energy. It’ll just make you hungrier.’

There were a lot of kids who laughed at me at first.

I punched them in the face and stole their food. I had to eat more than others to build up my stamina. It would be better to become my own flesh and blood than to rot in the stomachs of losers.

‘Do you think that’ll do anything for you? You’re a two-digit number just like us. If you were really that great, you would’ve been sent to a one-digit orphanage by now!’

The little bastard who was crying and screaming at me continued to curse at me until the end.

Eventually, I proved them wrong. When I was twelve, I took the second screening test. I was put on the list of candidates for the guard, and at fifteen, I officially became a cadet.

‘I am not a loser, and I never will be.’

I opened my eyes, muttering, and saw reality.

‘The arena of the black market, the opponent is Gabriel of the Iron Fist. My current body is a non-combat limb with low output.’

The conditions are so bad that it’s almost wonderful.

“… … Looks like Aleph overdosed on his medication today. Matching up with a brat like that? I’ll be fine as long as I get the money.”

Gabriel was walking towards me as he spoke. I observed him without responding.

‘Your modified body is out of balance and symmetry. You must be in so much pain that you can’t even sleep at night without painkillers.’

Gabriel’s limbs and prosthetics were all made by different manufacturers. They somehow seem to be working, but they are only temporary. In particular, his shoulders were hunched forward due to his oversized arms and fists. His spine must have been equally hunched.

The outside was not as good as the inside. The center of gravity was off, so the gait was lopsided. The skin was stretched and torn here and there from supporting the excessive weight, and the joints of the living and the mechanical were suffering from chronic inflammation.

‘But it’s strong.’

A man who transformed his body solely to become stronger. Maybe I too have become that type of person.

“Huh, you can’t even open your mouth. Are you scared? Your face looks pretty good. Are you going to wait on me at night?”

Gabriel stood before me, waving to the cheering crowd. He looked me over and smiled wryly. He must have realized that my limbs were not made for combat.

“You will certainly need help. You will be crippled today. I hope you have a lot of money saved up.”

I said as I looked around the stands. I could see Aleph and Kinuan together in a glass-fronted room.

Despite my provocation, Gabriel only furrowed his eyebrows. This was just a greeting. It wasn’t enough to make him angry.

“Haha, I’ll trample on you until you beg me to let you serve me.”

Gabriel stepped back and said. He had angel wings tattooed on his back. It’s just funny to think that he has angel wings with such an ugly appearance.

I shrugged my shoulders and took five steps back.

Tiring!

The odds of gambling were displayed on the display walls surrounding the stadium. As expected, my winning odds were around fifty to one. It was difficult to make a bet.

-Now, our cruel and ruthless world of killing and being killed, its microcosm begins! Will you be trampled? Will you trample and rise?

Aleph shouted into the microphone. Kinuan was looking down at the stadium with his arms crossed.

Beep!

An old beep signaled the start of a fight.

“Phew.”

I took a deep breath and took a stance. I spread my arms and legs slightly and faced Gabriel.

‘If you stop me, I’ll die.’

The difference in output was enormous. If I got hit by that fist, I would die instantly. It wasn’t like Gabriel was slow because he was big.

Fight!

A person runs and makes a sound like that. Gabriel jumps up and slams his fist down from above. It looked like he was going to crush me.

‘These aren’t movements learned in martial arts or combat. The movements are large and full of loopholes.’

In my original body, Gabriel would have died in a second. If I had dodged slightly to the side and extended my fist, Gabriel’s head would have burst like a squishy fruit.

‘Adhere to what is given.’

I recalled Kinuan’s instructions. Wishing for something that doesn’t exist won’t solve anything. If you pray earnestly, a gun won’t suddenly fall from the sky.

I have to deal with Gabriel with just the strength I have now, no matter how meager it may be.

I stepped back. The stadium was narrow, so I couldn’t just dodge backwards. I had to go around to the side.

Kwajik!

The place I was was dented. It was as powerful as the destructive force. Mass and speed don’t lie.

‘I trained under Kinuan for a month.’

All this time, I couldn’t even touch Kinuan’s body. He kept avoiding my attacks. I have to repeat that here.

Phew!

Gabriel’s fist passed me by with a frightening force. The wind pressure alone was enough to shake my body.

“What the hell are you doing! Are you playing tag or something? Are you kidding me?”

“If this is going to happen, then at least give me a refund! Do you think I came here to see this kind of thing?”

The crowd booed. What they wanted to see was violence and murder.

I didn’t take my eyes off Gabriel. I’m not a circus clown. It’s none of my business what those people want to see.

And my quest just ended.

‘… … It seems Kinuan didn’t bring me here to kill me.’

Today was the first time I ever fully analyzed someone while fighting.

I could see Gabriel’s movements in advance. He moved exactly as I expected. Gabriel, who only increased his output while ignoring his balance, is unable to move in a complex manner.

If you look at it calmly, without being overwhelmed by the size and destructive power before your eyes, Gabriel is nothing more than a slow-moving shell.

“This is it.”

I had some free time and ended up smiling. It seemed like that really stimulated Gabriel. The guy swinging his fist was rough.

A strange exchange of blows followed. When Gabriel’s shoulder flinched, I moved with it. It would seem that it was not me dodging the punch, but Gabriel who missed it.

“What the heck is this! Have you finally got a stick in your head?”

“Just get out of here, you little shit!”

“If you can’t see ahead, go to the hospital first! You idiot! What are you doing?”

The crowd booed at Gabriel.

I was able to dodge Gabriel’s attack before it could even reach him. In a way, it was natural. If I raised my senses to the max, I could even predict the trajectory.

The subtle trembling of the shoulder is the trigger, and the direction of the gaze is the muzzle. The length of the arm is the effective range. Compared to a gun, the preparatory movement is absurdly long, the range is short, and the trajectory is predictable.

widely!

I pushed Gabriel’s arm aside and knocked it away. It was the same thing Kinuan had done to me in the sparring so far.

If you can perfectly read and understand the direction of force, you can push a large force with a small force.

Sway!

Gabriel slammed his fist into the ground, drawn by his own power. His body staggered as if he were going to fall over. His already precarious balance and symmetry were shattered.

It was obvious where I had to touch Gabriel to make him collapse. I didn’t even have to use much force.

‘Kinuan always looks at me like this.’

Damn, that’s why my attack didn’t reach!

Boom!

I kicked Gabriel’s knee with my forefoot. It was an attack that would not normally work. My meager output was not enough to break Gabriel’s strong legs.

But now that the bastard’s balance is broken, it works.

thud!

Gabriel stumbled and fell to his knees. A look of embarrassment crossed his face. He stood up again, trying to defend himself. But my follow-up strike came first.

Kwajik!

I extended my leg again and slammed my knee into Gabriel’s face, shattering his right eye socket. He still had one eye left, but his depth perception would have been blurred.

My body flowed like water along with Gabriel. Gabriel is the one who moves and acts. But I am the one who rules.

‘Everything in this stadium is within my expectations.’

The space between Gabriel and me was entirely mine. Thanks to the special environment of the arena, there was no outside intervention or variables.

If this were a battlefield, I wouldn’t be able to show this level of concentration. In a real battlefield, there are countless variables and interventions. Because it was a controlled environment, I showed concentration that was close to foresight.

I had to admit, Kinuan was a great teacher.

‘Is this it?’

I rolled my eyes and moved, then turned my back to the wall. Gabriel came running as if he had seized the opportunity.

“Ewwh …

Gabriel swung his fist with a loud roar. Gas leaked out from his elbow as the propellant worked. It must have been a masterstroke in its own right.

Whoosh!

I intentionally dodged just barely so that Gabriel could give it his all until the last moment.

Kwajijijik!

There was a sound of the iron wall being torn apart. Gabriel’s fist sank deep into the iron wall I was backing against.

‘Only this side was rusted and dented.’

I took a few steps back and saw that Gabriel’s arm was stuck in the iron wall. The roughly torn iron wall was hanging down, biting Gabriel’s arm.

“Hey, rat, you little rat aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!!”

Gabriel tried to pull his arm out. The iron wall creaked as the force was so great. The screws connecting it were loose.

“You said you wanted to have a lot of money saved up?”

I said, following behind Gabriel.

“This dog… … .”

Gabriel couldn’t continue speaking. I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his head and twisted it. It was a twist that utilized the rotation of my entire body.

Woodduduk-!!

There was a nice cracking sound as my cervical vertebrae shifted out of alignment. I would be laughing right now. I am a human who has been modified to enjoy fighting.

“Good boy! Good boy!”

The cheers of the crowd filled the stadium as if they were going to break it. They praised the winners and hurled insults and curses at the losers.

As the tension eased, the fatigue that had been holding back came rushing back. My head felt cloudy and heavy, as if I had stayed up all night for several days.

I waited for the door to the waiting room to open.

As soon as the door opened, the medical staff came running. Their faces were full of smiles. It seemed as if they were going to extort money from Gabriel, whose neck was broken.

“Well done, good boy. Congratulations on joining Aki’s Victory.”

Kinuan, who had come down to the waiting room before I knew it, looked at me and spoke. When I heard the words “good boy,” I frowned and sighed.

“… … It turns out that complying doesn’t mean you’re defeated.”

“And give this to Gabriel for his medical expenses. I bet money on you to get it.”

Kinuan said as he handed me the credit chip. I opened my eyes wide when I saw the amount written on the chip.

“But Gabriel would hate me anyway.”

“That’s something you should go and see and decide for yourself. If you have a chance to win someone’s favor, there’s no need to make enemies unnecessarily. It’s better to be kind to others to the extent that they don’t look ridiculous.”

“I want to be a warrior and a soldier, not a hermit.”

Kinuan placed his hand on my head and whispered.

“You are still young when it comes to human relationships, Luca. The kindness I am talking about is not a good deed, but an investment. It is something you gradually accumulate so that you can use it later when you need it. Today, I have recovered what I invested in Tora.”

Kinuan’s smile was cold. I was seriously mistaken about something.

I had a sneaking suspicion that Kinuan would teach me because he highly regarded my talents. We also had a sense of kinship because we came from the same background. It was a truly arrogant thought.

One day, my time will come. Kinuan’s return will come to me. Perhaps in a way I cannot refuse.